


Taking Chances

by plumeriafairy14



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alfor and allura are not related, Allura and Lance have different surnames, Bottom Lance, Cliche, Complete, Drama, F/M, Family Drama, I did the do tumblr people, Keith Lance Hunk and Pidge wear private school uniforms, Lots of OCs - Freeform, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Modern AU, My first Voltron Fic, Romance, School Uniforms, Slice of Life, Space Gays, Space Parents, Top Keith, Yaoi, feels so much feels, has that been done before?, hot CEO Shiro omg, if you still find that as incest then just dont read. pls dont harass me, keith is the rich kid, lance is like freakin poor, pidge is non binary, school au, shiro and keith are NOT related in any way, slow build but I'll try to keep a bearable pace, smut later, sweet mom Allura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-07-26 20:15:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 157,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7588516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumeriafairy14/pseuds/plumeriafairy14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After she got fired from her shitty waitress job, Allura  hit a roadblock. But with bills to pay, rent to settle, and a seventeen year old son to send to private school even on scholarship, Allura couldn't afford to waste a second to sulk. Then she stumbled upon an online ad that was looking to hire a private tutor for an Altea Prep student. It would have been an easy enough task if the one who hired her wasn't the CEO of Voltron Telecommunications and one of the hottest, most sought after bachelors in the city. </p><p>Lance is a second class citizen in Altea Prep because he was on free scholarship. He gets picked on by some nasty rich kids but with his positive attitude, his part time after-school barista job and his two best friends; Pidge and Hunk, he gets by just fine. Lance's life was simple enough until his mom got a job as a private tutor for one of Altea's most infamous (and ridiculously hot) asswipes, Keith Kogane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes:  
> -I don't own Voltron:Legendary Defenders. This is rightfully owned by Studio Mir, DreamWorkds, and the creators.  
> -English is not my first language so there will be grammatical errors and typos here.  
> -I am Klance and Shallura trash like most of you. Don't judge me :) teehee~
> 
> I will do my best to update regularly! Please let me know what you think of it so far. Thank you for giving my story a chance!

 

“The customer is always right.”

That was the framed plaque that hung over the fire place mantle of the fancy Greek restaurant, Ambrosia. But Allura put her pride over some stupid saying and knew in herself that even if she was a just a humble frontline server there, she deserved some respect.

“I’m a regular here and this is not how I want my steak!” the man was a fat, greasy fellow who looked more like of a sleazy 50s mobster in those black and white movies. “Do it again!”

The man swatted the plate of steak Allura held on her hands and it fell off before it shattered on the floor.

Allura stared in shock and anger bubbled within her but she bit her tongue.  The asshole patron didn’t appear contented and decided to make even more of a larger scene. His beady black eyes slithered with spite while he feigned a look of shock.

“Being reckless, miss?! And look, you got steak sauce on my suit!” he announced loudly and the whole restaurant fell quiet to focus their attention on them. “This costs more than what you make in a year! Seriously, the service here used to be so much better! I want to speak to your manager!”

“Please wait a moment, sir.” Allura gritted out, her lips a thin angry line on her fine boned face, her ebony skin tight over her sharp cheekbones. “I’ll go get him.”

At the end of all that, Allura lost even if she tried to defend herself. Her supervisor had to apologize to her about it because of the customer’s status. Of course the establishment will put the patron over the well-being of their own people; they can be easily replaced, after all.

“I’m sorry, Allura.” He said when they were alone in the kitchen during closing time. “But that customer is a high profile patron. We can’t risk the restaurant’s image.” He sighed and that was how Allura knew that she had lost her job.

“Okay.” She found herself saying. It was a rough grit and her knuckles turned white when she gripped the rag she was using to wipe some fine china. “I won’t be able to stand this place any longer anyway.”

The bus ride home was heavy for Allura. She sat by the window and watched the city lights zip by in streaks of light. She took a deep breath to calm her mind and worked on formulating her next move because she can’t be jobless for long, not when there were bills to pay, rent to settle, and a seventeen year old son to send to a private school.

Tucking a lock of silvery gray hair back into its respective bun which Allura bleached, she took out her phone and swiped to unlock the screen to see that there were two unread messages in her inbox. Since it was sent not too long ago and it was only 10:30 PM, she assumed that her son was still up and waiting to hear from her.

This young man was so sweet and he deserved more. Raising her son on her own since her family disowned her for getting knocked up at age nineteen, was not easy. But not once did Allura made his sweet angel feel like a burden; he was a gift and one that Allura did not regret having in her life.

She pressed speed dial and after a two rings, his son answered on the other line;

“Hey, mom!”

“Hi, Lance.” Allura smiled. Hearing Lance’s cheerful voice always lightened up Allura’s mood. He was a noisy, talkative handful but he was a great kid who worked hard in school under a scholarship and kept the apartment in tip top shape while she was gone. Lance was responsible and he didn’t complain about their situation even if he had to make sacrifices of his own. To help out, Lance even got a part time job in a café as a barista rather than spending more time with his best friends, Hunk and Pidge, after school. It pained Allura that she couldn’t give him a lot but she will fight tooth and nail to give Lance a bright future.

“Are you on your way home?” Lance asked. “I made some mac and cheese since the Kraft box we had is about to expire.”

“That sounds great, sweetie, thank you.” Allura leaned back on the hard bus seat. “Have you finished your homework?”

“Yeah. I’m just playing some Boarderlands now.” The teen replied and there was an audible pause as Allura heard the game playing in the background. Lance spoke up again; “See you in a bit?”

About to answer, the bus suddenly hit a stop and Allura looked ahead only to groan at the long line of traffic. The other passengers in the bus with her started to murmur and pass the message from the driver that there was a car collision up front that was causing the traffic.

“Lance, I’m going to be a little late.” Allura groaned into the speaker. “Just leave some mac and cheese on the table and go to bed after playing your blasted game. You have school tomorrow after all.”

“Mom, I’m not a kid.” Lance groaned back. “You don’t have to send me off to bed. It’s embarrassing and I’m on my own here. Pidge barely sleeps but they’re fine!”

“As long as you’re my baby, I will send you to bed even when you’re married with kids.” Allura laughed when Lance purposely made a whining sound on the phone. “Love you, baby.”

“Yeah, ‘kay, love you too, mom.” Lance replied. “I’ll head to bed after I finish this round, alright?”

“Alright.” Allura agreed. “See you in a bit, sweetie.” Then the line went dead.

As Lance’s contact pop-up disappeared after the call, Allura was left staring at her reflection on the black screen of her phone. Those unique blue-lilac eyes against the olive of her skin were filled with turmoil, she had to provide for Lance no matter what. To hell with Lance’s estranged father, to hell with that stupid restaurant, to hell with rich people who treated humble workers like her like shit, to hell with getting fired… Allura will not give up. She got this far and there was no way that she would get discouraged now, there was no time to sulk because no matter what, Lance will always come first.

Since it was going to be a while before they got out of this cursed traffic jam, Allura pulled up her job ad app and started to browse. After a couple of searches, Allura’s eyes lit up and her lips stretched into a smile when she found one that caught her interest.

‘Private Tutor.’

The basic details followed after wards and Allura discovered that the tutoring job paid more than her shitty waitress job did per hour. The subjects that needed to be taught are in literature, math, and science. But what surprised Allura was that the person to be tutored is currently going to the same private school as Lance and surprisingly, they were in the same batch.

No wonder this kid’s parents can afford a private tutor; the kids who went to Altea Prep come from rich families but the school had a philanthropic program that grants scholarships to academically bright but financially challenged students just like Lance.

“Sounds easy enough.” Allura muttered just as the bus started to pick up speed when the traffic jam dissolved. She was an education major before she had to drop out of college because she got pregnant with Lance. She happened to enjoy teaching and she has a son the same age as the student to be tutored so she’s more than capable to handle a stubborn teenager. In addition to that, since this kid goes to Altea, maybe they can be friends with Lance too.

Without a second to waste, Allura quickly sent her premade resume and crossed her fingers to hope for the best.

Teach a student for the school year. Get paid. Done.

It’s not that hard so what could possible go wrong?

~///~///~///~

Takashi Shirogane, common known as Shiro, 38 years old, CEO of Voltron Telecommunications, and one of the most sought after bachelors in the city, massaged his temple after he looked through the email sent by Altea Prep’s information system. They just recently sent an electronic copy of the grades for the first quarter of the school year.

And Keith is failing. Again.

Keith was a loose bullet; hot headed and reckless. To make matters worse, he was pretty rebellious and most of the time Shiro didn’t know what to do with him. But despite those, he treated Keith like his own since acquiring custody of him when the young man was a just an eight year old child.

Shiro knew that he had to do something to keep Keith on his toes and get his grades back in line. It was noted in bold red letters at the end of the email that the school had put Keith under probation status. If he doesn’t get his act and his grades straight, he’ll get kicked out before the school year ends and that would put a nasty dent on his credibility to get into a good college.

That was the reason Shiro busted out the business shark in him and made a crucial move that Keith would probably explode about upon finding out. His obsidian eyes glanced at his silver wrist watch and realized that Keith was about to get back home from wherever the hell he went to after school.

Then, he’ll find out and will come marching in Shiro’s office study.

And just as he predicted, he heard angry stomps crashing through the polished ironwood stairs and the double mahogany door swung wide open to reveal a fuming teenager on the doorway.

Keith was furious.

Raven black hair styled into a mullet, bangs that framed his handsome face and those deep violet eyes that burned in anger that matched the trademark scowl in his face. His Altea Prep uniform was disheveled with the violet neck tie pulled down from his neck, his while the first two buttons of his polo shirt was open to reveal his pale neck. His jacket was all wrinkled and his curled fists were covered with black fingerless gloves.

“Where is it?” Keith hissed as he marched into Shiro’s office and leaned on his hands on the desk to stare down on the man who sat on the velvet CEO chair. “Where the _fuck_ is she?”

“What are you talking about, Keith?” Shiro appeared unfazed by the tantrum. He’s seen worse in business meetings and company negotiations where huge sums of money were involved. Shiro had practically seen men and women lose their minds when their businesses failed and their investments went down the drain. A rampaging seventeen year old student was just a breeze in the park on an autumn afternoon.

“Don’t fuck with me, Shiro!” Keith slammed his fist on the polished antique desk making the Newton’s Cradle rattle. He took a slow breath and Shiro thought that if the young man was a dragon right now, fire would be swirling around his form.

“Where. Is. My. BIKE?” Keith pronounced each word slowly with underlying threat but still, it did not affect Shiro. Barely anything fazes Shiro nowadays after the things he’s seen.

As an answer, Shiro pulled off the thin, silver rimmed reading glasses he wore and placed it carefully on the desk before he swiveled his laptop to show Keith.

And just as quickly he exploded, Keith fell quiet and imploded in shame as he stared at the report on the screen.

“So?” The young man forced out.

“Keith, you’re failing.” Shiro stated as he laced his fingers together with his elbows propped up on the desk. He studied Keith with scrutiny in his dark eyes and Keith narrowed his in return in rebellious retaliation.

“It’s the same report since I started school there.” Keith crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to give in. “They’ll pass me in the end anyway.”

“Well, this time, they placed you under probation.” Shiro’s tone was calm but his gaze bore deep into Keith’s dark violet ones. “They’re threatening to kick you out if you don’t get your grades back on track.”

Keith simply said; “Money talks.”

“No, I will not.” Shiro leaned back on his chair and arched a brow at the young man who stood before him. “That is wrong, Keith. It’s bribery and this is education we’re talking about. You need to learn that you can’t have everything you want.” A pause and Shiro changed his tone. “You will do this the right way. You will study and get back on track.”

Keith heard the finality in Shiro’s voice but he was not going to lower his pride and attempted to have the final say;

“You’re not my _anything_.”  

A cold tension fell into the room and the only sound there was the clicking of the Newton’s Cradle. Keith instantly regretted what he said but refused to apologize verbally, however, he broke the gaze and lowered his eyes.

“If you’re done with your little episode, I have a proposition.” Shiro asked, finally breaking the uneasy silence. “Are you interested, Keith?”

“What do you want me to do?” Keith asked darkly as he exhaled with frustration.

“I’ve put up an ad online to find you a private tutor.” Shiro replied his voice taking in a tone he often used in business negotiations.  “I will do interviews within the week so you can start at the soonest convenience.”

Shiro habitually reached up to run his fingers through his dark hair. It matched Keith’s but it was lightly peppered with numerous strands of white.

“My terms are simple;” Shiro continued. “You will go along with this private tutoring and get your grades back on track and then you will make it to your final year.”

Keith snorted with arrogance like Shiro just made a child’s deal. “I’ll make them quit on the second day.”

A slow smile played on Shiro’s lips and there was a twinkle in his eyes which told that he’s got his prey in a bind and the act made him look devilishly handsome.

“Remember, Keith, I have your bike hostage.” His tone was light in his victory because he knew that he had the upper hand and he’s wont the deal even before Keith started on it. “Unless you don’t want to see your precious Ducati anymore, you will agree to my terms. Perhaps, even throw in something better.”

“Son of a bitch.” Keith muttered under his breath. He took a few deep breaths in order to calm himself and decided to go with the latter. Living with Shiro had also made him pick up a few tricks in the business trade.

“Fine.” Keith narrowed his eyes but there was a small smirk on his lips now as he took up the second clause in Shiro’s offer. “I’ll do your stupid tutoring and I’ll get my grades back on track. But,” he paused and leaned on his palms against the desk to once again level his gaze challengingly at Shiro. “If I make it to the honor roll at the end of the year, you will get me a brand new Ferrari.”

Keith then offered his hand for Shiro to shake to seal the deal.

“Alright.” Shiro reached forward to shake Keith’s hand firmly and the younger grinned at him. He casually turned around and placed his hands in his pants pockets before he strolled out of the study.

“You know I like red.” Keith looked over to flash his own devilish smile and then, he was gone.

Shiro leaned back against the comfortable back rest of his chair and swiveled around to face the ceiling-to-floor high window that granted him a glittering view of city nightscape.

He knew that look; Keith was going to try to outsmart him.

Just then, his phone pinged when a notification that someone sent an application for the tutoring job came in. Shiro swiped to unlock the screen and tapped his thumb on the screen to view the application. True enough, the resume appeared along with a picture of the applicant which was the first thing that caught his attention; silvery hair, and blueish lilac eyes.

“Well, isn’t she a sight?” Shiro voiced his thoughts in wonder. He then opened up the memo pad app on his phone and noted to slot in Ms. Allura Calhoun for an interview after his Wednesday afternoon meeting.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tutoring job and a rivalry bring four lives together. Fate is already laughing with giddy amusement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO MUCH LOVE IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER AND IT'S JUST THE FIRST ONE. Oh my god, this fandom is relatively young and yet so much love already! Thank you very much for the hearts and the comments! This is my first Voltron fic and I hope that I would be able to write more for you guys! 
> 
> I hope ya'll like Megane!Lance and his trusty skateboard! Also, I made aesthetics for the 4 main characters in this AU fic! To be posted in my tumblr: lightoflunaris.tumblr.com once we get a little more into the story! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think of this chapter and/or the story so far. See you in the next chapter!

Chapter 2

Lance wasn’t really a morning person. But since he needed to get up early for breakfast and for school, he had no chance but to cut his morning ritual short. He pulled his sleeveless hoodie vest on over his polo shirt before he put on his school jacket and he made sure that the vest’s hood hung out behind his head. He stood in front of the small mirror that hung on his room and turned to check out himself in different angles. Finally, he put on his rectangle black rimmed glasses that were rounded on the edges.

“Good morning, handsome!” Lance grinned and winked at his reflection while he hung his worn out leather satchel diagonally across his chest. “You’re going to ace that test and you’re going to impress a lot of customers at work. You got this, Lance, you charismatic genius!”

Lance watched himself for a moment. He’s actually a regular looking seventeen year old who didn’t stand out much. Physically, he took a lot of features from his god forsaken dad; his shaggy brown hair cut short above his ears, a tall and lank build, and olive toned skin that came from his estranged Hispanic lineage. Despite being a spitting image of his father, Lance had decided that he was his _own_ person. He was special and he will never be like that bastard.

But it was Lance’s bright personality, stubborn iron will, and those unique blue eyes that stood out in stark relief against his dark tanned skin that told he was Allura’s son. The only way Lance ever stood out in Altea Prep was because he was a scholar and in Altean culture, scholars aren’t revered because they were the result of the school’s philanthropic charity for bright students who could not gain access to quality education.

In short, Lance was picked on a lot at school because he was poor.

But Lance didn’t care, he was there to study and obtain a bright future. He didn’t go there to obsess over impractical and expensive clothes, the latest gadgets, or showing off their parents’ money like they earned the damn thing themselves. No, Lance was there for his future; so that he could pay back all of Allura’s hardships of raising him and return the favor by providing his mother a comfortable life.

“Lance Calhoun,” the young man flashed a bright grin at the reflection who obviously grinned back. “You are one sexy beast. Now go kick some ass!”

Exiting his bed room which was one of the two in their small apartment, Lance made his way to the kitchenette area only to find Allura already sitting on the table with a steaming mug of coffee and a half eaten plate of food. On the opposite seat in front of her was a plate of eggs, toast, and three strips of bacon arranged in a smiley face which beckoned to Lance’s starving stomach.

“Mom?” Lance began, looking confused. “You’re not supposed to be up yet. Your shift doesn’t start until noon.”

Allura looked up from her phone and smiled at her handsome boy, her blue-lilac eyes twinkling with a kind of love only a mother could have for her son. “Good morning, Lance.” She motioned to the seat in front of her to tell the young man to take his breakfast. “Go on, eat up.”

Lance took a seat and started to devour his breakfast eagerly. Usually, he just had toast and maybe some milk and cereal in a disposable paper cup that he ate on the way to school. It was rare to have a full breakfast like this since Allura was still asleep from coming home late and Lance didn’t have time to cook in the morning.

“So what’s up?” Lance finally asked after her finished his food. “It’s rare for you to be up this early.”

Allura watched the young man who sat across her with thoughtfulness in her blue eyes. She still hasn’t told Lance that she got fired last night and it would surely upset him if she explained the full details. However, sooner or later it had to come out and now was better than prolonging it.

“Well, sweetheart,” Allura sighed and took a moment to take a sip of coffee to comfort her nerves. “I got fired last night.”

“What?” Lance exclaimed a little too loudly and bit his lower lip to hush the incoming words when he remembered that their neighbors are still asleep and the walls aren’t exactly thick. “Why?!”

“Rude customer.” His mother sighed. “It appeared that the restaurant would rather defend its image than its people.”

Lance scowled and his eyes darkened for a bit. “Well, screw them. It’s their loss, you’re amazing!”

He really wanted to say ‘fuck them’ but he had to remember that this was his mother he was talking to and Allura didn’t really appreciate foul language. Allura just smiled and reached across the table to ruffle Lance’s hair.

“Don’t worry, Lance.” She smiled. “I applied for a new job; one that is less hectic and pays more than the waitress job.”

“Oh, cool.” Lance pulled his head away stubbornly to avoid his mother further messing up his hairdo. “What job?”

“A private tutor.” Allura took another sip of coffee before she continued. “It’s for one of your schoolmates. When I looked further into the given information, I read that they are in the same year as you so it’s most likely one of your classmates. You only have one section, yes?”

The look of disbelief in Lance’s face was a mixture of schock and ‘are-you-fucking-kidding-me-mom-what-the-fuck’. Most of the rich kids in Altea are assholes and a few of the notorious names are in his class. He can only hope that his mother didn’t end up working for them.

“Mom!” Lance exaggerated by waving his arms around to emphasize his point. “I can tell that this is a rich kid because they can afford to hire a private tutor.” Lance scoffed and shook his head dramatically. “Nope. Noooope! They’re assholes, mom. They pretty much come from the same species as that rude customer. They, they….They eat people like me for breakfast and use scholar bones for toothpicks!”

“Lance, dear, would you please relax?” Allura sighed. She then smiled to try and calm down her boy. She knew that Lance was only trying to look out for her and she knew well what Lance went through in Altea Prep. But even when Allura offered to transfer him to another school, Lance refused saying that he wanted to stay so that he could use Altea’s name and image to get into a good university when he finishes high school.

“I just passed a resume, I haven’t gotten a call yet.” Allura said. “I hope I get it though. I can deal with a stubborn teenager since I have one of my own.” She attempted to reach to ruffle Lance’s hair again but the young man quickly dodged with an annoyed motion which made Allura laugh. “I see you’ve been picking up some moves from your silly video games.”

“Assassin’s Creed is not silly, okay?” Lance huffed as he pushed his chair back and got up to his feet. He then put on a fake Italian accent; “It is the legendary tale about the liberation of Roma!”

Allura burst out laughing at Lance’s move and remembered why he always got the lead roles in school plays back in elementary. “Alright, alright, go get them, kiddo.”

Lance gave a salute by snapping straight in attention before he thumped his right fist over his left chest and kept it there. “Yes, ma’am! For the glory of humanity!”

“Okay, what game is that from?” Allura asked with an amused giggle at how silly Lanced looked. She swore, this kid really made her heart do flips of joy.

“Moooom, it’s not from a game.” Lance rolled his eyes. “It’s from an anime called Attack on Titan.”

“Pardon?”

Lance gasped and feigned horror. “Only one of the most heartbreaking shows about giant naked cannibals and the few who dared to go past the walls that protected them!”

“Are… you sure you’re old enough to watch that?” Allura asked with a cringe. “That sounds disturbing.”

“I’ve seen worse.” Lance shrugged. He walked around the table to stand beside Allura before he bent down to kiss her cheek. “I have a shift at the café after school but I’ll be home before dinner, okay?”

“Take care, sweetheart.” Allura smiled lovingly at her young man who went over to grab his helmet, gloves, elbow pads, and finally his skateboard. They lived a good thirty minutes by foot from Altea but Lance could get there ten minutes earlier if he used his ‘sweet ride’ as he liked to call it. “I love you.”

“Love ‘ya too, mom.” With his gear strapped on, Lance headed out of the door after flashing a smile at Allura.

~///~///~///~

“It’s a brand new day, Keith.” Shiro held the stirring wheel with both hands as he attempted to break the silence between him and Keith. There hadn’t been no exchange between them except for the soft rock music that played on the mp3 where Shiro’s phone was plugged in with chord and the sleek hum of the Audi. “Why not smile a little?”

“I am smiling.” Keith mumbled. He was leaned back against the comfortable leather upholstery with his chin propped against his palm and his elbow against the windowsill. “Unfortunately only those who don’t take other people’s bikes away can see it.”

After that snarky reply, Keith pulled out his phone and plugged in his buds to signal that the conversation was done.

“Funny.” Shiro’s tone was bland. Keith had been sulking all morning more than he usually did but he had to do something to teach the young man a lesson. He’d been getting his way a little too much lately and that spoiled him. Something’s got to keep him grounded or he might diverge into the wrong path and go downhill from there.

Shiro admitted to himself that part of that was his fault; being CEO kept him busy that he can’t give Keith his full attention all the time. He swore that he was doing his best for Keith but it seems that his efforts are not enough since he noticed that Keith was starting to mix in with the wrong crowd at school. And since Keith didn’t have his bike with him, Shiro took it upon himself to drop him off to school every morning before he went to work. It was also his way to make sure that Keith really does go to school and not play hookie.

When they met a red light, Shiro eased the car into a stop and patiently waited for counter to turn green. Trying to distract himself from thoughts Keith, he let his eyes wander to the pedestrians that crossed in front of them. That was when Shiro noticed a young man who wore the same Altean uniform as Keith, only with a hood hanging out behind his nape. The kid was all geared up but he carried his skateboard in his hands as he crossed; smart kid to play it safe.

“Hey, Keith.” Shiro began and reached to tap Keith’s arm since he guessed that the volume of the music he was listening to was set up high. God, it’s amazing how this kid isn’t deaf yet.

“What?” came the snappy and sour reply.

“Is that a friend of yours?”

Keith lifted his eyes and pulled out one earbud to listen to what Shiro had to say. His eyes followed the direction Shiro pointed and watched the pedestrians walking in front of them before he spotted the subject of the other man’s inquiry.

Oh. That guy.

“Lance Calhoun, the scholarly jackass?” Keith asked sardonically and with distaste. Shiro raised a brow at him and Keith shrugged. “Nah, don’t know him.”

“You just said his full name.” Shiro frowned in question.

“Haven’t seen him before.” Keith said dismissively.

“He’s wearing the same violet neck tie as you, Keith.” Shiro’s brows furrowed over his dark eyes. “He’s in your class. Why don’t we give him a ride?”

Keith gave an exasperated sigh and waved his hand in a gesture to go on. “Dude, why the fuck are you asking me this? It’s your damn car, I wouldn’t give a fuck if you had a dead purple alien in the trunk!”

“For the love of God, can’t you be nicer to your classmates, Keith?” Shiro sighed and rolled down his window just as the Altean student with the skateboard walked passed their car.

“Hey, kid!” Shiro called over a little too loudly which earned them a few curious stares. Keith groaned and ran a hand over his face to mess up his bangs and conceal his identity. Lance froze and turned towards their direction. He looked around to make sure that it was really him that was being called.

“Yeah, you with the skateboard.” Shiro flashed a quick smile and gestured at him. “Come on, I’ll drop you off with Keith.”

“Wow, Shiro.” Keith rolled his eyes and muttered. “You revealed my secret identity. You’re a shitty sidekick.”

When Lance came closer, his eyes narrowed when he spotted Keith who flashed him a glare before ignoring him again. Yeah, everyone knew Keith Kogane; he was one of the asshole overlords who walked the grounds of Altea Prep and Lance was unfortunate enough to be in the same class batch as him. In a sense, they were also rivals in every way except in academics since Keith doesn’t give a rat’s ass about his grades.

When Lance studied the man on the wheel behind the heavy tint inside the car, he realized who it was.

“Mister Sh---“ Lance clamped his mouth shut when Shiro immediately shushed him. Because of his title and the nature of his job, mostly everyone knew who Shiro was and in turn, everyone at school knew who Keith was related to. That’s why Keith perfectly fitted in with the damned rich kids unlike Lance who was basically an outcast.

“Get in the car, kiddo.” Shiro unlocked the doors. “The light’s about to turn green.”

Without wasting a second so that the cars behind Keith’s didn’t honk, Lance got in and closed the door.

When the car was on the move again, Lance took in the inner design of vehicle. His heart was pounding with contained excitement because he had never ridden in a luxury car before. Lance clutched his skateboard tightly against his chest afraid to get dirt on the expensive upholstery and he suddenly felt like he was intruding. He would have declined but the light was about to turn green and he just rushed on impulse.

Allura would strangle him for getting into a car with a stranger like a clueless kid, but he was seventeen, for crying out loud! Besides, Keith was there and if Lance suddenly disappeared and found dead in a ditch in the middle of nowhere, at least it would be Keith’s fault. Heck, global warming and the Taylor/Kim K feud was Keith’s fault.

“I really appreciate you giving me a lift to school, Mr. Shirogane.” Lance suddenly blurted out. He felt the need to thank the CEO of Voltron Telecommunications because he was actually nice enough to do so, unlike Keith who was brooding like the ball of miasma that he is.

The man laughed. “Please, call me Shiro. No need to be so formal, you’re friends with my son after all.”

Lance wanted to gag but he didn’t want to come off as rude.

But friends?

With _Keith_?

That statement also became a moment of clarification for Lance. He knew that Keith had powerful connections in the upper tier but he never talked about his family. At least now Lance knew that the famous Takashi Shirogane is Keith’s father. However, one other thing bugged Lance; If Shiro was Keith’s dad, then why do they have different surnames? Lance didn’t want to intrude since it was most likely a personal issue that happened between Keith’s folks. And besides, he didn’t really give a shit about Keith.

“Ah,” Lance had to find a way to politely change to subject but he wanted to blatantly ask Shiro if Keith was adopted because compared to Shiro, Keith’s an asswipe. “Thank you, Shiro.” An awkward pause. “So, uhm, CEO stuff after dropping off Keith?”

“Yup.” Shiro replied lightly while Keith placed back his earbuds and blared the music to drown out the world. “Meetings here and there, it gets tiresome but I like what I do.” Shiro glanced at Lance from the rearview mirror and Lance himself got the feeling that that Keith was only pretending to listen to his music. “Keith tells me you’re a scholar, Lance.”

“Yes, I am.” Lance gulped. Oh god, was Shiro going to pick on him for being poor? Lance was starting to get queasy and he tried to formulate a plan on how to bust out of a moving car without breaking his skull in the process. “But contrary to popular belief, I don’t really bury myself in schoolwork only to rise as the living dead in the morning.”

Shiro chuckled. He liked this kid already; he was lighthearted and friendly. “What else do you like to do, Lance? Skateboarding, I assume?”

Lance glanced down at the beat up skateboard that he clutched. He loved that thing because it was a gift his mother gave him for his 15th birthday. Allura worked extra shifts in order to be able to buy Lance a brand new skateboard back then.

“Yeah, but I’m not too die hard for it now as I was back then; it’s more of a mode of transportation now. Gets me home to school and to work afterwards.”

For some reason, Lance felt a shift in the aura of the car and he bet his lunch that Keith was watching him from the reflection of the side window tint. Lance didn’t really go around telling people at school that he had an after-school job since no one would understand. The only people at school who knew were Pidge, Hunk, and Hunk’s girlfriend, Shay, another scholar.

“Where?” Keith suddenly interrupted and oddly enough, there was a tone of genuine curiosity under the depths of his asswipe voice. Lance wanted to tell him off but he can’t do that after Shiro was nice enough to give him a ride in this sweet car. Lance wished he just kept his mouth shut about that part and now Keith’s going to find out where he worked. Asswipe Mullet here would probably cause trouble there to get him fired just like that rich asshole did to his mom.

“The Coffee Nook.” Lance replied and he felt himself get a little cocky. “I put in a dash of love in all the coffee I make for the customers. Say my name and they’ll say: “Oh! It’s that guy who always puts in an extra dash of love in my coffee!””

Shiro chuckled at Lance’s enthusiasm while Keith merely rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“That’s good.” Shiro said and he gradually slowed down the car when they entered Altea Prep’s high iron gates. “I hustled between jobs after school when I was your age too.”

“Whoah, really?” It was like Lance turned into a little kid with how wide his eyes went. Shiro worked when he was a student? But he’s so filthy rich that he could buy an island and maybe a whole planet if he wanted to.

“Well, of course.” The car then came to a stop and Shiro turned his head towards Lance for the first time. Hell, he was as handsome as the business magazines portrayed him to be. “I wouldn’t get to where I am today if I didn’t work hard in the past.”

When Shiro unlocked the doors, Keith quickly slung his bag pack over one shoulder and exited he car without even a word of thanks to his dad. It made Lance feel awkward and somewhat disappointed at Keith for being disrespectful. Keith walked off, earbuds still on and ignored the crowd that parted like the Red Sea when he made his way through.

“Thank you again, Shiro.” Lance beamed and exited when Shiro nodded at him, smiling, and then he drove away.

The warm rays of the morning sun was something Lance welcomed with open arms. However, what he didn’t expect were the numerous pairs of eyes that watched him with scrutiny as the other students witnessed him exit the same car as Keith, and probably caught a glimpse of who was on the wheel as well.

Soon he felt his stomach double over from the murmurs that started to float around. That was when he was reminded of the sad brutality that the school and culture in this god forsaken elite place will never see Lance as an equal to Keith.

“Who are you and what did you do to Lance?” A new voice came from below that he had to look down only to be met by golden brown eyes behind round rimless spectacles.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Pidge?” Lance beamed and ignored the stares on his back. He grinned brightly and jabbed his thumb to himself. “It’s me, the one and only, Lance! I’m not _just_ a Ladies Man, I’m everybody’s man!”

Pidge rolled their eyes and pushed up their glasses up the bridge of their nose. They wore a matching uniform as Lance but they wore a violet and black plaited skirt and knee high black socks instead. Since they were in Lance’s class, they wore a thin violet ribbon that was loosely tied around their neck. But as much as Pidge wanted to ruin their uniform to make it as gender neutral as possible, they can’t afford to get a violation that would ruin their good record.

Born as Katherine Holt, Pidge ripped that name apart and demanded that they be called Pidge instead of Katherine, Kate, or Katy. The student body got the message but it was most of the professors that didn’t comply with Pidge’s requests since they’re a bunch of bigots, except for some nice ones. The Holts are a family of science people known to produce prodigies. They have renowned scientists, researchers, and doctors over the generations. Pidge’s older brother, Matthew Holt, is currently the most celebrated doctor in the field of neurosurgery.

“The Lance I know wouldn’t stand within a ten meter radius from Keith Kogane.” Pidge raised a brow in question. “You just got out of the same car with him and if I may point out, Takashi Shirogane  was on the wheel.”

“You should have told me that you’ve hooked up with Keith, I would have made you a nice congratulations cake” A new comer teased with a light chuckle. He was a big, lumbering young man with black hair that fell past his ears and his skin tone spoke of the sunny Polynesian isles.  But unlike Pidge and Lance, his neck tie was red which meant that he was a year ahead, a senior, per se.

Lance’s face broke into shock but heat rushed up his face and his tanned skins tinted with pink. He pointed an accusing finger at the larger teen and the shock had so much impact on him that Lance’s glasses slid down his nose in a comedic way. “That’s gross, Hunk! You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Hunk Garrett may be a year ahead Lance and Pidge but they go way back to their beginnings in Altea Prep. Lance didn’t really fit in because, well, he was… a social and financial outcast while Pidge’s sense of sarcasm that came with their brilliant mind drove away people a lot. It was Hunk who approached them and made them feel like they fit because he was part of the welcome committee back then. After that, the three stuck together like glue.

The Garretts own a chain of restaurants around town and they had recently began to expand outside the city. Hunk had inherited the family’s love for cooking and he eventually want to become a chef someday. Out of the trio, Hunk had the supreme culinary prowess of a food god. Lance had never eaten anything Hunk made that wasn’t delicious.

“Hey, chill, man.” Hunk scolded as a matter of fact. “You’re scaring the little lady.”

Behind Hunk, an adorable brunette peeked out. Her hair was braided and pulled up into a bun. Straight bangs framed her face while freckles peppered the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were the color of crushed topazes and the smile she wore added to the purity of her features. The ribbon around her neck was yellow which meant that she was a sophomore, making her the youngest in the group. And finally, to up her do, she sported tiny hoop earrings and a braided bracelet that Hunk obviously weaved for her.

Like Lance, Shay is studying in Altea under a scholarship. She came from a humble family of farmers in the next state but for someone who grew potatoes and such other root crops when she was younger, Shay is intelligent and hardworking. In addition to those, she is very kind and often soft spoken but still had some kind of spunk in her which made Hunk fall head over heels.

“You know, Lance,” Shay smiled as she fully stepped from where she stood behind Hunk. “I think you and Keith would make a cute couple.” She waved her hands as if she was imagining the words coming to life in the air; “Keith and Lance: A Road Trip To Romance. Oh, it even rhymes!”

Lance made a strangled noise of disgust. “Shay, I’m begging you, please spare me.” Lance looked like he was about to get on his knees but Shay continued to giggle. “It just happened by chance that Keith’s dad was nice enough to offer me a ride to school. Never in a million years would I want to be in any way connected with someone like Keith.” Lance leaned to whisper scandalously. “They said he was charged with arson.”

“Oh, puh-lease.” Pidge scoffed. “I’ve snuck a peek into the school’s archives and I saw no such information about Keith.”

“Oh, what did the archives say about me?” Lanced asked excitedly while stars twinkled in his unique blue eyes behind his spectacles. “That I’m a handsome and charismatic genius?”

“That you’re an ass.” Pidge shrugged and Shay burst out into laughter this time in which Hunk joined in with his hearty chuckles.

“I thought we were all buddies?!” Lance demanded then he blew out a ‘hmph’. “I give you free cupcakes at work!” but his complaints went unheard.

“Ten bucks says they’ll go on their first date by the end of the month.” Pidge smirked slyly at Hunk while Shay’s eyes went wide and Lance stared in shocked disbelief.

“Nah, Pidge.” Hunk disagreed. “I’ve seen Keith go around and he’s pretty stuck up. Lance here is a huge ball of denial and he’s not going to suck it up without a fight. I’ll give it a month and a half.”

“Come on, Lance.” Shay teased once more. “You’ll never know.” Then she winked.

“Hah!” Lance crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I’m telling you now that you’re going to lose.” He pushed up his glasses and quirked his eyebrows cockily;

“I wouldn’t date Keith even if he was the last human being on earth.”

~///~///~///

Left alone by herself that morning, Allura allowed herself to plop down on the small couch in their living room. She had just finished tidying up the already tidy apartment because she just couldn’t sit still and do nothing. Ever since she was kicked out of their home at eighteen, she’s been hustling between jobs even when she was pregnant so that she could save enough by the time Lance was due. Taking in the peaceful quiet to calm her racing mind, Allura closed her eyes and pushed aside the problems to be able to allow any possible solution to rise to the surface. But thoughts of Lance’s smile melted her worries and Allura will do whatever it takes to keep that beautiful smile of his son’s face.

“Please…” Allura whispered to whatever higher being there was that watched over them. “I just want the best for us, especially for Lance.”

And as if her prayer was heard, Allura’s phone buzzed and the ringtone blared. She almost had a mini heart attack and she quickly snatched her phone from the dingy coffee table, knocking off Lance’s game controller in the process.

Allura looked at the screen and noted the last three digits of the unregister number before she took a deep breath to compose herself.

“Hello?” She answered curtly after she swiped the screen.

“Good morning.” It was a deep and velvety voice that wrapped around Allura’s nerves like silk. “Is this Ms. Allura Calhoun?”

“Yes, speaking.” Allura replied, taking in a polite but professional tone.

“Ah, good day, Ms. Calhoun.” The man on the other line said. “I’m the one who put up the ad regarding the private tutoring. Your resume had been reviewed and I would like to ask if you could come in for an interview tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM.”

This is the call Allura had been waiting for! Allura made a silent fist pump in the air similar to what Lance does whenever he beats a boss battle or aces an exam.

“Yes, sir.” She thanked whatever higher power watched over her for letting her control her excitement. “May I ask the address of the place?”

“Of course.” The man said. “Just come to the Voltron Telecommunications building and head to the 35th floor. Tell the secretary your business and she will lead you in.”

Allura had grabbed a pen and scribbled the details on the back of a Coffee Nook napkin. “Thank you very much, sir. I’ll be there.”

“You’re welcome.” Then the line went dead.

Allura couldn’t believe it, she got the interview and at such short notice too. Her heart was hammering against the wall of her chest while it raced a hundred miles per hour. If she gets this job and actually keep it, she and Lance would make it to the end of the school year.

Calming her nerves, Allura clutched her phone to her chest while she thought of the many different ways this new change would affect her and Lance’s future.

~///~///~///~

Shiro pocketed his phone before he lifted his gaze to the floor to ceiling window of his office in the 35th floor of the Voltron Telecommunications building. He watched the city bustle with life that morning before he pushed aside the conversation he just had. Now that Keith’s private tutoring matter had been solved, he can focus on the main issues that plagued him every day as part of his job as CEO.

Suddenly, the small intercom speaker on his black marble top desk beeped then his secretary’s voice spoke through and broke the silence;

“Sir, Mr. Zarkon of Galra Tech Incorporated has arrived.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed at the sound of those names. He straightened his charcoal satin neck tie and sat down on his throne like leather chair. Shiro swiveled around to face the long aisle that led to the double black and gold doors of his office.

“Send him in.” Shiro’s tone was crisp with authority as he whipped out the intimidating aura he had mastered so well.

The Black Lion of the Telecommunications Industry is now in attendance.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee, cigarettes, and a secret love for red velvet cupcakes.   
> Maybe Keith wasn't so bad after all... Or is he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In addition to the reviews and kudos here, I've also received some wonderful tumblr asks thanking me for writing this fic and encouraging me to continue writing this love story between two unlikely couples! Thank you so much, everyone!   
> I could really feel the love but even if it's a challenge for me to write this, I feel like I'm on the right track. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this Klance chapter! (I'm such trash) Please let me know what you think what you think about this chapter/the story so far. Stay tuned for the Shallura chapter coming up in the next update!

Chapter 3

“Hey, sorry, I’m late!” Lance barged into the back door of The Coffee Nook. He held his bag and his skateboard while he heaved deep pants from rushing to his after-school job. His immediate supervisor, a perky blonde named Cindy, looked up from the coffee beans she was working through the grinder.

“Hi, Lance!” She greeted, her blue eyes lighting up. “You’re just in time, actually.  Go get ready, we’re short staffed out front because Kyle called in sick.”

“Got it, beautiful!” Lance winked playfully at the blonde who giggled before she shooed him off to get changed.

After he swapped his uniform for his comfy yet stylish barista clothes, Lance smiled confidently at his reflection in the locker room mirror. He liked being around people which gained him the skill of harmonizing with different types of customers. However, there were always the usual rude customer but so far Lance hasn’t gone and punched any of them in the face which was a good sign that he was still in control.

Zipping by the other barista at the front, Evie, Lance gave a grin before he took front center where an old lady with a pink knit bonnet waited patiently.

“Hello and welcome to the Coffee Nook! May I take your order?”

“What a lively young man.” The old lady smiled. She lifted her eyes and peered through her thick cat’s eye glasses. “I’d like some tea to go, make it earl gray in a medium cup.” A pause. “Oh, and a croissant.”

“Coming right up, ma’am.” Lance spun a sharpie along his fingers skillfully while he grabbed a to-go cup. “Your name please?”

“Eleanor.” The old woman replied and watched as Lance scribbled her name on the cup in a playful, swirly penmanship. After punching in the order, he relayed the amount and Eleanor took out her purse.

“That bonnet is lovely, Ms. Eleanor. Did you make it yourself?” Lance asked as he took the cash from the old woman. He then printed the receipt and slid it along with the cup into Evie’s station so he can make the drink.

“Why yes, thank you, dear.”

The shift was slow that afternoon because it had started to rain hard. After the line Lance tended to dissolved, there were only a few customers left in the café. He was glad that he was finally able to get a moment to take a breath. After making sure that Cindy, his immediate boss, was busy out back, Lance took out his phone from his pocket and peeked underneath the counter. He saw an unread message from Allura and swiped the screen to read it.

‘I got the interview!’

“Holy shit.” Lance’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He felt a mixture of happiness and dread mostly because his mother might be on the road to working for one of his asshole classmates. Lance swore under his breath that whoever this classmate was; if they gave Allura a hard time, he’ll shove his foot in their mouth. He wasn’t a violent person but he will defend those he cared about. The list was short but his mother was at the top of the said list.

‘Gratz, mom!’ Lance hit send.

“That’s not very professional, nerd.”

Fumbling to keep his phone in his pocket, Lance looked up to the source of the voice while he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His gaze locked with sharp, dark violet ones and of course, the cursed mullet that came along with it. Keith stood on the other side of the counter; phone in hand and the usual earbuds on except one was unplugged so he can hear the conversation.

So, he did come. Lance wanted to kick himself for letting Keith know that he worked here. What was he going to do? Keith was going to be an asshole and get him fired for his own amusement, is he? However, he did notice that Keith’s stupid hair was damp and dark wet spots were dotted all over his uniform jacket. He must have taken shelter when the rain poured. Then again, didn’t he have someone to pick him up from school? The questions Lance had were endless and they started to stir the selfless concern he had in him.

What if Keith got sick, missed school, and steal Lance’s homework again? He took a deep breath and shrugged off any concern that formed itself for Keith.

“Hi, Keith.” Lance gritted out. He was smiling but it appeared forced and he felt a vein throb in his temple. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Evie and Cindy were occupied before he hissed; “May I suggest a nice hot drink to warm your cold dead heart?”

Keith immediately arched an eyebrow at Lance but he quickly shrugged it off and looked up at the menu that hung on the wall behind the barista. “An iced macchiato, medium.”

“Uh, okay…?” It sounded more of a question when Lance replied. He wondered why Keith would order a cold drink when he was wet from the rain as an addition to his frozen soul and his dead heart. Grabbing a cup and the sharpie, Lance asked; “Name?”

Keith raised a single brow and stared at the other teen with an incredulous look in his amethyst eyes before he let out a deadpanned; “Keith.”

“Anything else?”

“Hm.” Keith murmured as his eyes scanned the pastries on display. Suddenly his eyes lit up from within with a strange light. It was gone as soon as Lance noticed it but being a people’s person, Lance was good at reading people and knew that look; it was glee.

“And a red velvet cupcake.” Keith finally said, his aloofness returning.

“Would you like it to-go?”

“No. I’ll stay for a bit.”

 _‘Fucking great.’_ Lance thought to himself but he gave a single nod at Keith.

Their exchange was pretty mechanical but Lance didn’t really expect any friendliness from someone like Keith. Even in school, Keith was mostly by his own but there were instances that Lance sees him with the other upper tier people like that senior asshole, Rolo and his exchange-student fuck buddy, Nyma.

“That would be four twenty five, please.”

“Keep the change.” Keith slid a ten on the counter and Lance wordlessly punched in the order before handing the cup to Evie in his station and fetching Keith’s cupcake.

“I’ll just bring it to you.” Lance said and with that, Keith wordlessly stepped back and plugged back his other earbud. He made his way out of the café and took a seat on one of the tables out in the veranda. The rain had mellowed into a drizzle but it was still going so Lance guessed that Keith was going to let the rain stop before leaving.

Lance didn’t know why, but he kept an eye on Keith while he placed the adorable red velvet cupcake on a saucer and put in a cake fork in the tray that Evie handed to him that already had Keith’s coffee.

Outside, Keith pulled out a pack of cigarettes, placed a stick between his lips, and lit it with a lighter. Taking a drag, he leaned back his head and blew out the smoke, his pale throat exposed while he his deep violet eyes stared out at the gray sky.

The very first thought that entered Lance’s head was that despite being an ass, Keith was actually pretty good looking. He caught himself and shook his head stubbornly.

“Nope! Not today, feelings, especially not _that_ one.” He scolded himself, gripping the edges of the tray. “He’ll be dead by thirty five if he keeps that up.” He eyed the cancer stick Keith was puffing on with disgust.

“Did you say something, Lance?” Evie suddenly asked, confused.

“Huh? Oh, nothing!” Lance laughed nervously and motioned at the tray. “I’ll just bring this out to Keith.”

Evie trailed his dark brown eyes to the guy on the veranda and he took note of the uniform. “Oh, he goes to the same school as you.”

“Unfortunately, he’s also my classmate.” Lance sighed. “He’s a jerk. He stole my homework when we were sophomores.”

Evie laughed teasingly. He removed the beret he wore on his head and ran his fingers through the brunette mop of his hair before placing the hat back.

“Is he your boyfriend?” he asked and Lance made a horrific choking sound that resembled a dying goat.

“No!” He shot defensively. “Weren’t you listening? He stole my homework!” Lance trailed off and muttered almost inaudibly. “…I think.”

“You know those cold, bad boy types?” Evie said while Lance looked at him with confusion. “Sometimes, they just need some love and a little guiding push to get back on track.” He paused and sighed softly. “I wasn’t too different a little while ago.”

“Oh?” Lance’s blue eyes widened a bit. Evie was this tough looking guy complete with the tats on his forearms so Lance couldn’t believe that someone beefy like him would talk about mushy things like that. This was a pretty new sight for Lance to take in.

“What happened?” Lance asked.

“I met Claire.” Evie smiled and Lance let out a soft ‘aw’.

Taking in what Evie said, Lance grabbed a handful of paper towels before making his way out to the veranda.

~

“Hey, Keith.” Lance stepped out and fought not to gag at the smell of second hand smoke. Keith looked up from his phone, his violet eyes peering from underneath his raven black bangs. Breath hitched in Lance’s throat when those amethyst pools seem to suck him in its depths. “Here you go.”

Lance placed the tray down on the table.

“Thanks, nerd.” Keith said dismissively. He looked down on his phone again and continued to play whatever stupid app was pulled up. Lance pressed his lips into a thin line and pushed back his glasses up the bridge of his nose habitually.

“My name is Lance.”

“What?” Keith glanced up from his game.

This time, Lance heaved an exasperated sigh. “I have a name and it’s not Nerd. It’s _Lance_. L-A-N-C-E.”

“Sure, whatever, nerd.” Keith returned to playing his game and he took a moment to puff on his cigarette before placing it back on the ash tray on the table.

“Fucking hell, sometimes I think I’m too nice for my own good.” Lance groaned under his breath this time. Hearing the noise in the background of his blaring music, he unplugged one earbud and looked at the other teen with a mixture of confusion and irritation for interrupting his game.

Before he could ask, Lance placed the paper towels on the table before he turned around and snorted stubbornly;

“Dry your stupid hair. You might catch a cold.” he looked away to hide the embarrassment on his face because truth be told, he did feel a sliver of concern. Of course, he wasn’t going to tell that to Keith. “And thanks for the ride this morning.”

He began to walk away before Keith could say anything. This was probably nothing; he just…saw a really attractive angle of Keith, nothing more. It’ll go away. Lance downright strode back inside, annoyed and somewhat, shocked, that his heart was racing in his chest while butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

“Go away, feelings! I said not _him_!”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, I'm back with an update! Hooray! However it will be the last update for the week to give me time to refill my creative juices. The lovely feedback from you people are wonderful, thank you very much! As a thanks for the current 170ish likes and more than 1k hits, I created a Lance Calhoun moodboard on my tumblr as the promotional announcement for the new chapter! I'll post the others soon once I've taken up most of the elements in the story. (Oh the things I have planned -sinister hand rubbing-)
> 
> Please let me know what you think of this chapter and/or the story so far.
> 
> But for now, have some Shallura. *Smashes repeat button on Earned It by The Weeknd*

Chapter 4

 

Allura stared up, up, up, and up at the towering building in front of her. The Voltron Telecommunication tower was only an hour away from where she lived but the commute wasn’t too bad that day so she was able to arrive at least half an hour before the interview. It’s better to be early than late since Allura was trying to show off. She’s trying to sell that she’s a good employee and that she makes an effort to be early.

After the attendant at the door directed her to the elevators, Allura entered the lift car and pressed 35 on the long line of buttons. It was a long ride up with some people coming in to join her every few floors only to step out after a little while. But when Allura went past the 30th floor, she noticed that there weren’t any more passengers getting in in with her.

To focus, she studied the mosaic on the ceiling of the elevators; there were five lions. Four of them that were colored red, blue, green, and yellow respectively surrounded the fifth, a black lion. Their heads were tilted down in respect as if they acknowledged the black lion as their leader.

Then, the episode with Lance from this morning entered her mind;

_“You’ll do great, mom!” He cheered on as he grabbed his skateboard that was propped up by the door. He jabbed his thumb at himself and grinned; “Don’t worry, I don’t care who this classmate is. If they give you a hard time, I’ll shove my foot up their ass”_

_“Lance!” Allura had scolded. “Your language.”_

_“I-I mean to say that I got your back, mom! Sheesh!”_

_Allura had hugged her wonderful son and Lance had jokingly made suffocating sounds as his face was buried into his mother’s thick, wavy, hair that was dyed in a white to black ombre style._

Ding!

Allura was startled back into reality when the elevator hit the final floor. She checked her reflection on the polished double doors which then parted to reveal a long decorated hallway. She stepped out of the car and looked around.

The hallway was beautifully decorated; black marble floor, gold metal pillars, and the occasional flower vace. There were several double doors, but what caught her attention was the one across her with a lavish desk by it and a woman bent down and focused on her task.

Taking a deep breath, she walked the length of the hall and the sound of her fashion-outdated heels echoing through the large hall signaled her arrival. The secretary looked up and watched her approach.

“Good afternoon.” She said curtly. Her tone was cold but unfriendly, although Allura noticed that the woman’s serpent green eyes scanned her from head to toe with a look of disapproval. The secretary was the generic up-tight bitch looking blonde with the nose lift and the boob job, the kind that would often come on as the villain in a TV show or a cheesy romance novel.

“Good afternoon.” Allura returned the greeting politely. “I’m here for the interview regarding the private tutoring job.”

“Ah, yes.” The secretary, whose desk name plate read ‘Chloe Rixton’, pulled out an organizer file on her computer and highlighted the current time slot green. “Ms. Allura Calhoun. Mr. Shirogane is expecting you.”

The familiar named slammed into Allura like a truck. Shirogane? As in Takashi Shirogane, CEO of Vontron Telecommunications, one of the most sought after bachelors as well as one of the most powerful men in the city?

Allura quickly felt nervous sweat trickle down her back as Chloe reached for her desk intercom and pressed a button;

“Sir,” Her tone quickly shifted from cold to languid in a matter of seconds. “Ms. Calhoun has arrived.”

“Send her in.” A deep velvety voice that sent Allura’s nerves tingling, replied. She had to control herself from gulping her breaths because it was the same voice that she spoke to just yesterday. Dear god, Takashi Shirogane called her up himself.

“Please go through the door.” Chloe shifted back to stuck-up bitch mode when she addressed Allura once again. Allura kept a polite expression but deep inside, she guessed that this woman was the type to seduce her boss just for the sake of getting into his wallet. Maybe that’s what Chloe was trying to do.

“Thank you.” Allura smiled and went up to the polished double blackwood doors. Containing her nervousness and shifting her mindset into business mode, she pushed one door open and stepped inside.

Her heart leapt to her throat.

The office was what Allura had expected. It took up a minimalistic elegance of an executive’s office but the show stopper was probably the large ceiling-to-wall window that overlooked the afternoon bustle of the city. The man who stood with his broad back to Allura donned a custom fitted dark gray suit threw into stark relief by a cream colored tie. He was facing the large window watching the cityscape with his hands casually stuffed into his pocket. He turned around and faced Allura who was already having a hard time breathing with her heart clogged in her throat.

The business magazines did not do justice to how handsome Takashi Shirogane was in person.

He had dark slanted eyes and black hair peppered with silver combed back with a few strands hanging off to frame his angular face. Allura felt rooted where she stood when an air of intimidation settled between them. But then, Takashi Shirogane smiled at her.

“Ms. Calhoun.” He walked up to her, and took out one hand from his pocket as he walked towards her. His movements were filled with masculine grace like how a proud predatory cat would be; like a lion.

“Welcome.” He offered his hand to Allura. “Thank you for coming. I’m Takashi Shirogane.”

“I know.” Allura blurted out and the man’s eyebrows slightly quirked. She felt like she wanted to slap herself for losing grip of her cool. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She quickly followed to mend the situation. “Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Shirogane.”

Allura reached forward to shake the CEO’s hand. The moment that his warm, rough fingers wrapped around her hand firmly, she felt electricity jolt down her spine at the touch. However, it was gone the moment he let go.

“Please.” Shiro motioned to the couch so that Ms. Calhoun can sit. He, on the other hand, leaned on the front side of his desk and studied Keith’s possible tutor. The picture on her resume was the same one as the woman who sat on his office couch, but hell, those eyes caught his full attention. They were twin blue pools tinged with lilac and they just downright sucked Shiro in. He also took note of a slight foreign accent that subtly slurred her words which gave Shiro an idea that Ms. Calhoun wasn't originally from this part of the world.

Taking out the thin rimless reading glasses from his breast pocket, Shiro took a two page document that was within reach on his desk. His dark eyes scanned the resume before he got into business.

“Ms. Calhoun,” he began, observant. “I read in your resume that you have some background in education.”

“Yes, I do.” Allura nodded. “I was an education major in college. I was able to finish a year’s worth of units before I have to drop out due to personal reasons.” She paused, seeming to regret digging a ditch for her to fall into after that piece of information. But when Shiro took a deeper look at her reaction, she had a steely determination in her eyes.

Interesting.

“I see.” Shiro nodded and placed down the papers back on his desk before he removed his reading glasses, twirling them idly around his fingers. As long as the job can be done, he didn’t care if this woman was college drop out. “Do you have experience in teaching, Ms. Calhoun?”

“Yes.” Was the immediate answer but something changed in the woman before him at the mention of ‘teaching’. It was like her eyes lit up from within.

“I was a volunteer back in college who would tutor lower batch students. After I had to leave school, I worked for an online based program that provided interactive online English classes for elementary students in Korea.”

Silence fell between them once again and Shiro studied her long enough that she squirmed uneasily in her seat. That was when he spoke; “You appear to be passionate about teaching.”

“I am.” Allura nodded with optimism. “I love teaching. One of the best parts of my day back then was teaching my son after he came home from school.”

“Ah, you just opened the reason why we’re here in the first place.” Shiro sighed and ran his fingers through his black hair. “Are you any good with rebellious and stubborn teenagers?”

“My son is a stubborn teenager, so yes.” Allura smiled. She wanted to say that Lance was classmates with Takashi Shirogane’s son but she didn’t want to make it appear as if she was trying to pull favors. This was a crucial moment and she needed to be as professional as possible.

“Oh?” Curiosity poked at Shiro. Part of interviews is shedding a little light in the applicant’s background. So he asked; “Would you tell me more about him?”

Bingo! Allura got the chance for the big reveal that she hoped would work in her favor. “He’s seventeen; a scholar in Altea Prep in his junior year.”

Oh. Shiro knew that the name Calhoun rang a bell. Then he connected two and two together; “Is that one of the reasons you applied for this job?” he did mention that the student to be tutored, Keith, is an Altean student.

“Yes, sir.” Allura had to counter since she was somewhat cornered. She still couldn’t afford to appear to be pulling favors here. “However, I can assure you that I am strict with my lessons and the academic exercises that I will give.”

There it was again; the flare of determination that intrigued Shiro. Keith was stubborn and a meek teacher would only be a push over for that hellion. Shiro finally decided that Allura Calhoun would get the job.

“I don’t know if your son has mentioned it to you,” Shiro said finally relaxing against his desk which he leaned into. “But I gave Lance a lift to school when I dropped off, Keith, yesterday.”

Allura’s eyes widened, speechless, but Shiro smiled;

“I saw that he wore the same tie color as Keith.” He explained further. “He’s a nice kid, very polite and talkative. He talked about his part time as a barista and how he always ‘puts an extra dash of love’ in all the beverages he makes.”

Allura found herself beaming with pride for Lance and a soft laugh even slipped out before she bit her lower lip and tore her gaze away from Shiro to compose herself. Shiro, on the other hand, stilled at the sound of her laugh and because even if the CEO in him should be the one on the surface right now, he couldn’t help but find her laugh adorable.

“Did he now?” Allura asked. “He’s a very friendly young man and he works very hard to try and help. He does his best all the time.”

“Keith is the opposite of Lance, Ms. Calhoun.” Shiro’s voice lowered a bit at the thought of the rebellious teen. “He could get quite hurtful with his words and he’s difficult to handle. He had successfully made his past tutors quit, so I’m giving you a warning.”

The latter part of that sentence caught Allura’s attention and she stiffened, staring at the man before her.

“I assume that you’ve read between the lines.” Shiro said. He pushed off from leaning on his desk and approached Allura who automatically stood up, clutching her white purse in her hands. “I would like to hire you as Keith’s tutor for the school year. Would you be able to handle it, Ms. Calhoun?”

The jackpot question the Allura wasted no time in answering. “Yes, Mr. Shirogane.” She eagerly thrust out her hand out. “And please, just Allura would do.”

Shiro saw the same familiar optimism he saw in Lance yet, Allura’s own inner drive has its own uniqueness.

“Please,” Shiro reached out and clasped Allura’s fine boned hand into his bigger one. He shook once and squeezed, letting their touches linger for a moment. “Call me Shiro.”

~

“Lance, baby!”

“Hey, how did it go, mom?” Lance was drying a dish he used for a late snack. His phone was sandwiched between his ear and his shoulder with his head angled weirdly to the side. “Did you kick as—I mean butt?”

“Sure did!” Allura replied on the other line, her tone bubbling with excitement. “I got the job!”

“See? I told you you’ll get it!” Lance grinned on his end. Allura is the most intelligent woman he knew, she was his hero and she was the most amazing woman in the world. Lance’s faith in her never once faltered. He was about to cut the conversation short so he can go on and play some Dead by Daylight but then he remembered that the student Allura would be teaching was his classmate.

“Oh yeah,” Lance interrupted his mother’s happy babbling. He stared at the dry plate in his hand; “So, who would you be teaching?”

“Hm?” Allura’s voice held a curious tone. “Ah, it’s a young man named Keith.”

Lance dropped the plate. “WHAT?!”

Good thing it was plastic. Allura would kill him if he made the kitchenette a landmine of shattered porcelain.

~

Keith bent over the pool table in the game room of one of the seniors he hung out with, Rolo Marquis. He sat in one of those large couches that could accommodate a small group and was surrounded by other upper tier Altean students while a beautiful senior girl, Nyma Petrov, sat on his lap.

Taking aim, Keith jolted the cue forward and took a shot that slid the number 4 ball in the hole before he stood up straight again.

A house party in the middle of the week wasn’t uncommon in Altea since most students could afford to throw one. Keith had been invited and with nothing better to do after school, he showed up. However, he had excused himself from the others since he didn’t really take fancy in being suffocated in a crowd, no matter how small or exclusive.

With the pool cue aligned vertical to his body, Keith leaned on it while studying the ivory balls scattered over the green felt of the table. And then, his phone vibrated in his pocket just as he found a move he could make. Wordlessly, Keith took out his phone, put it on speaker and placed it at the edge of the table. He didn’t bother to look at the screen because he was pretty sure who was calling. He bent over the pool table, the cue cradled along his fingers while his other hand held the butt of the long stick, pushing it back and forth as he took aim.

“Keith.” Shiro’s voice lifted from the speaker. It was a good thing that he was a bit far from where Rolo’s group was having a blas, their music blaring from the surround sound speakers. Keith stilled for a moment and then decided that it didn’t matter as he got his head back into taking aim.

“Yeah?” he replied simply.

“Where are you?”

“Rolo Marquis’s place.” Keith replied, his voice was distant and his eyes narrowed in concentration at his self-played pool game.

“What are you doing?”

Keith’s reply was shooting on his aim which made the ivory balls clacked against each other.

“It’s a school night, come home this instant.” Shiro growled after he got that piece of information. “Right now, Keith.”

“I can’t be fast about it without my Ducati, Shiro.” Keith stood up straight and studied the new formation on the table. “I’ll be home in an hour.”

When Keith spotted an opening to shoot the 9 ball, he bent over again to take his former stance and took aim, sliding the cue back and forth in focus.

“Anyway,” Shiro sounded like it took everything he had to calm down because getting pissed is exactly what Keith wanted him to do. “I got you your tutor. You start on Monday.”

“Yippee.” A deadpanned hoot. “Who’s the lucky pick?”

“Lance’s mother, Ms. Allura Calhoun.”

It was a good thing that the music on the speakers were turned up because the felt on the pool table ripped from the force of Keith’s miscalculate shot.

“What the actual fuck?!” Keith demanded. He dropped the cue on the table and grabbed his phone squeezing it. “Is this some kind of joke?!”

“Not at all. It was coincidence that she applied. And besides,” Shiro’s tone lightened a bit. “Don’t you think it would be nice to be study buddies with Lance? I think he’s a nice kid.”

The small episode from the café played out in Keith’s mind, his lips were pursed into a thin line. It’s not like he didn’t appreciate that that four eyed jackass gave him all those paper towels to dry off. But Keith deep inside, Keith was actually surprised by the small show of concern.

“You’re doing this on purpose!”

“No, I’m not.” Shiro said. “Why do you dislike Lance so much?”

That question caught Keith off guard. Why did Lance grate on his nerves so much? He shook his head to clear his mind, raven locks swishing from his trademark mullet.

“Look, I don’t _dislike_ Lance but I don’t _like_ him either.” Keith snapped defensively, trying to mend the ripped pool felt in an pathetic attempt of damage control before someone from Rolo’s cronies noticed. In the end, he just coolly walked away from the pool table, hoping no one would notice. There were a lot of people in attendance anyway, _anyone_ could’ve fucked up the pool table.

“He’s just annoying, that’s all.” Keith muttered as he stepped outside and away from the blaring music. And now, Keith had to get along with Lance because his mom is the new tutor and he struck a heavy deal with Shiro.

“I’m sure you’ll get along with Lance, you need some nice people in your life.” Shiro replied. There was an audible sound of shuffling on his end and Keith heard the jingle of keys. “Now, stay there. I’ll pick you up.” Then the call ended.

Keith lowered the phone from his ear and pocketed it. Sighing, he too out the pack of his favorite cigarettes and placed a stick between his lips. He coughed twice when he took a drag after he lit it; he had just recently picked up smoking and he still wasn’t used to it, but he didn’t care.

He had other things in mind like how he could outsmart Shiro into giving his bike back early and keeping it up until he could get his hands on his brand new Ferrari.

Keith could be a selfish little shit and he admitted that. Could he change for the better? It was possible.

He was unsure what to do with his life but he was fine where he was right now.

Even if it was lonely.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! I'm back with the 5th update! Here, we get a glimpse of how Lance and his gang are treated in Altea. We'll also meet the other douche bags that will be in this story. With the introductory chapters almost done, it's safe to put in the deeper details of the story. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this update! Please let me know what you think of this chapter/the story so far. Thank you very much to those who had expressed their love and support for this story. See you guys in the next chapter!

Chapter 5

“Lance, you haven’t touched your tropical fruit pie.” Hunk looked concerned. The inquiry made Shay look up from the book she was reading and Pidge from typing on their laptop. Lance had been glaring at the sweet dessert for the past ten minutes like he was expecting it to move. “Don’t you want it?”

Hunk looked kind of hurt; he did make that for their group lunch that Monday morning. Everything he cooked for his friends is a labor of love and well, it was unsettling for him to see Lance just staring at his pie. The junior scholar was usually the first one to vacuum in his desert before going on and fighting with Pidge over theirs.

“Lance?” Shay spoked up with gentle curiousness. “Are you sick? I can go with you to the nurse’s office if you are.”

“Now I’m really thinking that Keith did something to Lance.” Pidge closed their laptop shut and placed it aside on the usual picnic table they sat on under an old oak tree when they were on their break period. “Ever since he stepped out of that car, Lance has been acting weird.”

“Oh, I read a mystery novel similar to that!” Shay spoke up, her topaz eyes lighting up with excitement. “It’s about this evil guy abducting people and releasing their clones to replace them in real life!”

“Interesting.” Pidge peered through from behind their round, rimless glasses at Shay who nodded eagerly. “What happens to the real ones?”

“They’re kept for their organs to be harvested and sold in the black market.” Shay replied. “Their clones replaced them in real life along with cloned memories so that no one would suspect a thing about the mastermind.”

“Sounds like a reverse situation of The Island.” Lance spoke and exhaled a sigh. Ever since Allura told him that she would be tutoring Keith for the rest of the school year, he had been really worried. What if Keith gives Allura a hard time?

“Lance. Spill.” Pidge frowned and grabbed the paper plate which held Lance’s share of the tropical fruit pie. “Or you’re never getting this back.” They grinned, sinister. “I’ll eat it. I always have room for one more pie.”

“Hey!” Lance protested, glaring at Pidge. The exasperated tone in his voice that rooted from the desire to protect his pie slice made the real Lance resurface. “Give it back, you little shit!”

“Not until you tell us what’s wrong.” Hunk said this time and there was genuine concern in his expression. “You’ve been acting weird the past few days, man.”

“Fine.” Lance sighed pushed his glasses up his nose out of habit. “It’s my mom.”

“Oh, no,” Shay gasped. “Is she alright?”

“Yeah, she is.” Lance nodded to calm Shay down. This girl sure is too sweet for her own good but despite looking like an easy target for the rich kids to pick on, Shay Denvers is not helpless. “It’s her new job.”

“Is it…a bad kind of job?” Pidge asked this time. There was concern in their golden brown eyes. Allura is a strong woman and she had a sense of pride in herself that would prevent her from taking a… less than dignified job.

“She applied a job as private tutor for an Altean student.” Lance began to explain. He crossed his arms over his chest and a worried frown hung on his lips. “Unfortunately, said Altean student is Keith.”

“Holy…tater tots…” Shay breathed in disbelief.

“Are you serious?!” Pidge gaped and unconsciously slammed their small fist on the table.

Hunk on the other hand, furrowed his brows. “Was it by coincidence? Keith? Keith Kogane; the cold blooded mullet king rumored to be charged with arson?”

“Yeah.” There were forces in this world that Lance knew he couldn’t control. It wasn’t like the video games he played where he could download mods and DLCs, this was real life and it’s got nasty aces up its sleeve. “She starts this afternoon after school.”

“Oooohhhh my goodness.” Shay motioned towards the passing group of upper tier kids that walked down the white gravel path of the courtyard.

Altea Prep lives up to its name with its beautiful campus and their school had been dubbed ‘Academic Garden’ in the middle of the city because of the seven hectares of vast greenery. Old trees, flowering bushes, gravel and cobblestone paths, decorative fountains, and wrought iron benches were placed around. The school buildings were patterned after Greek architecture straight out of mythology itself with, of course, the latest technology only money could buy.

“Speak of the devil.”

Lance followed Shay’s eyes and true enough, Keith was walking with Rolo, Nyma, and their blind followers. However, he was falling behind. Taking a deep breath and pushing his glasses up his nose again, Lance steeled his gut and stood up from the picnic table. “Okay.” He breathed to himself.

“And where the hell do you think you’re going?” Pidge stood up as well when they noticed that Lance turned his back to them and started for the direction of Rolo and his damned gang.

“I need to talk to Keith.” Lance said.

“Oh, hell no, Lance Calhoun!” Pidge pushed off the picnic table. “I’m not going to let you approach those dimwits on your own.”

“Yeah, you’re in one army.” Hunk stood up as well and helped Shay up by gently taking her hand into his. “Besides, I don’t trust Rolo and Nyma. Those two are snakes, bro. Who knows what shit they might pull.”

“Strength in numbers.” Shay agreed. “I know I don’t have influence like Hunkybear and Pidge, but I can hold my own. I know what you go through, Lance, I’m not going to let you go there alone.”

Lance was touched by how his friends cared about him. They all had each other’s back and they will always do no matter what. Pouting to try and hold back the warm bubbling feelings, Lance sniffed and wiped away mock tears playfully.

“My beautiful squad.” He grinned. “I knew you wouldn’t leave your handsome leader for the rabid dogs.”

“Shut up and let’s go.” Pidge sighed and Lance went on his way with his three friends covering his back.

~

Keith wondered for the fiftieth time as to why he was rolling with Rolo’s group; he hated these people. He was casually minding his own business before they strolled past him and dragged him along before the conversation turned into a stupid bragging game.

“My father sent a beautiful gown for me to wear at a gala this coming weekend.” Nyma Petrov’s words were heavy with her Russian accent while she was draped all over Rolo as they walked. “It’s even custom designed with at least two hundred and fifty Swarovski crystals.”

“Oh, Nyma, that’s amazing!”

“I bet you’ll look gorgeous!”

Other shallow flattery followed but they were obviously laced with venomous envy. Keith decided to break away and since he fell back a step, he let the upper tier crowd move on without him and they didn’t even notice that Keith was gone. Among these kinds of people in this school, you become invisible if you have nothing to show off or brag about.

“Keith, can I have a word with you?” A familiar voice sliced through his thoughts and Keith turned to the source of the voice only to come face to face with Lance with his friends standing from a watchful distance that was far enough to give the two of them privacy. When Keith didn’t say anything and just watched him, Lance felt uneasy and added a quick; “Uh, please. It’s important.”

Keith was surprised, the small act of flustered politeness was… actually kind of cute.

“What is it, nerd?”

“My name is La—“

“Just out with it.” Keith interrupted with a sigh. “Is this about your mom?”

Lance fell silent but he nodded. “Look, man,” he forced out, his usual cheerful tone dropping an octave deeper with seriousness. “Don’t give her a hard time. She’s really doing her best for us to get by.”

A shadow passed over Keith’s dark violet eyes that bore into Lance’s bright blue ones. For Lance to personally ask him to take it easy on his mom, did Lance really see him like that? Keith admitted that he wasn’t a nice person when he wanted to, but that was just…off.

“I also struck a deal with Shiro that’s pretty important to me, so yeah, I’ll try not make your mom quit.” Keith said. He watched as Lance sucked in a breath but otherwise, he nodded.

“Thanks, man.” He said. “She’s really nice and patient so don't take advantage of that. I’d really appreciate it.”

Lance, Keith realized, actually cared a lot about his mom and his ocean blue eyes pulled Keith in. Something was unwillingly triggered in him and he found himself reverting to his seven year old self. He found himself staring into a pair of lavender eyes that were a tone lighter than his;

_“Keith, we’re going to play hide and seek, okay?” his mother smiled at him and cupped his chubby cheeks. “Don’t come out until Officer Shirogane finds you.” With her thumbs, she wiped away the terrified tears that trickled down from Keith’s eyes._

Keith shook his head and pushed back the horrible memories. He was about to give his agreement when someone interrupted rudely behind him. He then noticed that Pidge, Hunk, and his girlfriend, Shay, strode towards Lance.

“Kogane!” Rolo stood behind him. He was several inches taller than Keith and Lance and he sported a red necktie on his uniform which was similar to Hunk’s since he was a senior. The best way to describe Rolo is that if a fuck boy had sex with a Monday pop quiz, it was Rolo. He had dark beady eyes, dark blonde bangs that fell over one side of his face to cover his right eye, an elongated face, and pompous air about him.

He looked at Lance’s group and smiled arrogantly. “Are these rejects bothering you?”

“What the fuck did you say?” Lance demanded angrily. “Take that back!”

“Aw, don’t be so touchy, scholar.” Rolo shrugged and placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder. Keith, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes in irritation but he kept silent. “Keith was leisurely strolling with us. You’re bothering him. What are you trying to do asking favors from my buddy?”

“Shut the fuck up, you dimwitted horse.” Pidge snapped this time. “This is a private conversation!”

This time, Nyma stepped forward, her long blonde ponytail swishing on her back like a golden whip. “Oh my, Katherine,” she taunted. “Such vulgarity. Your language sure is… unfitting for someone who is educated.” She gave Shay and Lance the stink eye, ignoring Hunk. “Maybe you’ve been hanging around these…” she made a disgusted face. “…Charity cases, too much.”

“It’s _Pidge_.” The shorter student growled. “Get that into your empty bimbo skull.”

No one and Pidge meant NO ONE, insults them or their friends in their presence. They made a mental reminder to fuck up Nyma’s records in the archives later. 

Lance felt the anger seep into his nerves, his fists curling, and was about to give Rolo a piece of his mind when Hunk caught him by the shoulder.

“Hey, be the bigger person here, Lance.” He whispered. “If you stain your record with an offense by starting a fight, you might lose your scholarship.”

“They want you to bite.” Shay whispered. Lance might be a happy go luck person by nature, but if he needs to throw a punch of two for himself or his friends, he would. “You need to calm down.”

That got Lance because Hunk and Shay were right. Nyma and Rolo are purposely trying to get him to snap because if a single behavioral offense gets on Lance’s record, he’ll lose the scholarship and he’s already a junior. He was so close to finishing high school and he can’t afford to lose it now, not when his goal of repaying his mother’s sacrifices for him was already within his reach.

He shrugged off Hunk’s hand and turned around but not before looking over his shoulder and giving Keith one final look. Now, Keith may be a cold bastard, but he was not dense. He quickly got the silent message Lance was trying to pass through. With a subtle nod from Keith, Lance walked away, still fuming while his friends followed him.

Keith also wasn’t stupid; he, too, saw what Rolo and Nyma were trying to do. These fucking purists; they want to rid Altea of scholars to keep it a school exclusively for the filthy rich.

“Let’s go, Keith.” Rolo gestured for them to go with a tone that was obviously trying to brag. “You wanna catch a ride home later? I brought the Royce today. I noticed you don’t have your Ducati with you lately, ‘ya getting it fixed or is something better about to be shipped in, hm?”

“It must be horribly awkward for you to deal with _those._ ” Nyma reached forward to cling to Keith.

But to her shock, Keith coldly shrugged away.

“Don’t touch me.” The words were an empty monotone but his dark violet eyes were sharp with threat as they bore into Nyma’s cornflower blue ones. Rolo was about to say something but then Keith turned to pin him with his death glare as well.

“I’ll walk home. Thanks anyway.” Was all he said before he turned to walk away from the so-called campus couple as he took his own path. They made no attempt to stop Keith especially because he gave them that spine chilling glare with those enigmatic eyes. Why would they risk it? Keith Kogane was rumored to have been charged with arson after all.

~///~///~///~

Allura scrolled through her phone’s address book to double check that she was in the right place.

Suite 1-A, 40th floor, Balmera Residence Tower.

Holy mother of God. This place was a condominium for the rich and the unit she was supposed to go to appeared to be the top penthouse one. It’s really not surprising considering that this was the guy who led Voltron Telcom, but still, it was a pretty holy-shit-moment for Allura.

Allura took a deep breath and smoothed out her cream colored cardigan. It was a good thing that Keith was Lance’s classmate because she was able to ask his son about what topics they were currently taking up in class. Lance had warned her about Keith’s attitude but Allura believed that she can handle it because even if Keith was ice compared to Lance being sunshine, they were both seventeen and Allura knew what made seventeen year olds tick.

She and Shiro had agreed that Allura would tutor Keith thrice a week excluding weekends. It will be on Mondays, Wedenesday, and Fridays with the remaining used as self study days for Keith. Shiro had instructed her to submit a written or electronic report of Keith’s progress at the end of each week.

The elevator ride was pretty fast since the car didn’t stop for any one. Allura glanced at her wristwatch and saw they she was ten minutes early from the four o’ clock start time. Stepping out of the elevator, she approached the door with a golden embossed plaque that read A-1 and pressed the doorbell.

It took about twenty seconds before a voice, which did not belong to Shiro’s, sounded on the speaker.

“Mrs. Calhoun?” it asked.

“Yes.” Allura smiled and noticed a small camera blinking at the corner of the doorframe. “Please, just call me Allura.”

With a soft beep and a click of an internal lock, the door opened Allura was greeted by a young man that had a raven haired mullet and deep violet eyes.

Lance’s voice suddenly echoed in her head; _“He’s easy to spot in a crowd, just follow the trail of teenage angst and look for a stupid mullet.”_

“Hello, you must be Keith.” Allura smiled at the young man who opened the door wider to welcome her inside. “You’re classmates with Lance?”

A tiny but noticeable change in Keith’s handsome features caught Allura’s attention but then it was gone. However, she wasn’t really sure what it was; Irritation? Fluster? She couldn’t tell and now was not the time for it.

“Yes.” Keith replied and politely gestured inside. “Come in, Ms. Allura, sorry for the mess.”

Keith must have said that out of humility because when Allura stepped inside the penthouse, she was pretty much frozen in place. Obviously, the whole place was nothing less expected from where a CEO should live. The door was just a misleading façade because inside were two whole floors of living space complete with a balcony in and an infinity pool outside that overlooked the entire city.

“Can I get you anything?” Keith asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The sleeves of his white uniform polo shirt were rolled up to his elbows and his tie was already off, as well as his jacket. He looked like a normal privileged kid and not the Harbinger of the Apocalypse as Lance had exaggerated. Then again, this was just day one for Allura and Lance had already spent three years being classmates with Keith.

“I’m fine right now, Keith.” Allura smiled and she sat on the couch that Keith offered. “Thank you.” She paused to take in more of the beautiful penthouse. She began again when Keith sat on the seat opposite of her with the coffee table between them. “Are you ready to begin?”

The young man just shrugged, bored: “Sure, whatever.”

Keith looked at Allura with an empty gaze and with an expression that was a mixture of defeat, boredom, and irritation.

“Alright.” Allura was a patient teacher and truth be told, Lance used to be a difficult student back then too because he was distracted so easily and he would try to get away with it by engaging Allura in silly conversations about his favorite TV show; Space Explorers.

Taking out the notebook which contained the lesson plan that she made after she consulted with Lance, she smiled at Keith. “So, between math, literature, and science which one do you have the hardest time with? We can start with that.”

Keith’s enigmatic violet eyes never left Allura’s and he loosely crossed his arms over his chest.

“All of them.”

Allura fought off a sigh; this was going to be a long school year.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, guys! Here's chapter 6. I posted earlier but had to take it down when a review came in about Lance's recitation in class regarding the reading assignment. I decided to omit it after a concerned reader voiced the disagreement of the analysis. (I busted out my old mythology book from the depths of my endless pit of everything high school and had to re-read that story and I had to agree. jfc wtf mythology) So yeah, thank you for telling me immediately and I'm sorry about that. 
> 
> Anyway, here you go :)

Chapter 6

**Two glorious, uneventful weeks later…**

“Hey, Lance.” Pidge greeted when Lance took his usual seat beside them at the middle row of the classroom.

“Mornin’, Pidge!” Lance plopped down on the empty seat beside Pidge and placed his bag pack at the foot of his desk before he stretched and let out a sleepy yawn. He had pulled a late shift at the café last night and he was glad that he was off today before having to pull another late shift on Friday.

“Cindy asked you to pull a late one, huh?” Pidge guessed. The only reasons Lance would lose sleep is because of his job, studying for a test, or trying to beat a boss level.

“Yeah.” Lance sighed, exhausted. There were dark circles around his blue eyes that drooped heavily behind his glasses. “It’s okay, I guess. Evie called in to say that Claire gave birth to their first baby so he won’t be able to come for work for at least two weeks.”

The shorter student gave an ‘awww’ at the news of the new baby before they said; “Oh, so it’s you Kyle out front?” Pidge asked as they mentioned the raven haired finance major who juggled her job and her studies. But unlike Lance, Kyle was already in her first year in college.

“Pretty much.” Lance didn’t have a problem working with Kyle. In fact, he liked Kyle; she was bubbly and friendly. She and Lance made a great frontline duo; when Kyle took center stage and catered to the orders, Lance got to make the drinks and it was something he enjoyed doing. He was knows as the guy who always throws in an extra dash of love as Cindy liked to call it.

“Oh, shit, yeah, I almost forgot.” Lance straightened and reached into his breast pocket to take out four ID sized cards with the Coffee Nook’s logo.

“The new loyalty cards are out.” He handed three to Pidge who took it in their small, slender fingers. “Cindy said you, Hunk, and Shay can get them exclusively first since she likes you guys and you’re regulars. Mom has one too so just hand these out to Hunk and Shay.”

“Hold a tick.” Pidge suddenly peered at Lance who looked back at them curiously.

“What?”

“You said you had four.” Pidge inquired. “Me, Hunk, and Shay make three. Who gets the other one?”

Lance can’t use the card since he already works at the cafe and is entitled to a ten percent discount if he buys coffee there when he’s off duty.

“Oh, yeah…” Lance saw Pidge’s point and realized that Cindy game him an extra card by accident. “Maybe I can give to someone else.”

“A fine morning to you all!” A cheerful voice interrupted and the whole classroom’s morning chatter died down when the door opened. Their literature teacher, Mr. Coran Nichols, was a cheery man in his fifties.  He had ginger hair that was matched with a perfectly trimmed mustache that fitted his jolly personality like a glove. In addition to being their literature teacher, Coran was also the class adviser for the junior class of Altea Prep.

“Now settle down, you rascals, and I hope that you read the chapter I assigned you from our last meeting.”

There was a coalition of groans and chatter that lifted but it didn’t bother Lance and Pidge because they certainly read the assigned chapter from Mythology by Edith Hamilton. Coran placed his things on the teacher’s desk and proceeded to begin the class with a personal reflection of the stories that were in taken up in the chapter.

“Would anyone like to share what short story they found the most intriguing?” Coran asked after a while but when no one raised their hand, he crossed his arms over the classy white cravat he liked to wear on Wednesdays. No one really knew why, but they noticed that Mr. Coran Nichols always wore a cravat on Wednesdays. It was one of Altea’s many mysteries which in fact, no one cared to asked Coran about.

“No takers? The teacher asked, disappointed that no one was participating. “I’m going to start calling names.”

“Please not me…” Lance whispered.

The teen knowingly lowered his gaze and didn’t make any eye contact with Coran so he doesn’t get called, but throughout his experience as a teacher, Coran knew every single tactic the students tried to get away.

“La—“ he began but was interrupted.

**BAM!**

“Sweet mother of quiznacks!” Coran clutched his chest like he just had a heart attack. The whole class jumped in their seats when the door swung open to reveal Keith on the doorway, his bag slung over his back. No one said a word as Keith entered the classroom and closed the door behind him, obviously more mindful now with school property because there were witnesses around.

“Ah, Mr. Kogane.” Coran frowned, his tone was clearly disapproving. “You’re late.”

“Better late than playing hookie, sir.” Keith replied with his usual cold tone. “But at least I’m here because nothing could quench my desire for knowledge.”

Several snickers sounded around the room in response to Keith’s sarcasm, but none of those snickers belonged to Lance because he frowned at Keith. His mother works hard on tutoring Keith and yet it’s like he’s not making much effort on his part.

“This will be your final warning, young man.” Coran said. “One more tardy in my class and I’ll give you detention.”

Keith merely shrugged.

“Well, go find a seat so we may continue.” The teacher waved Keith off as he collected a hard bound copy of the Edith Hamilton book and proceeded to write on the board, seeming to forget that he was about to call Lance who sighed in relief. 

Lance didn't really want to admit it, but he was glad Keith provided a distraction. But then, he noticed that the student who usually sat on his right, was absent.

“Hey, Pidge?” Lance felt a clawing chill in his chest which made his heart start to run laps.

“Hm?” They hummed without looked up from their own book from where they sat on Lance’s left.

“Where’s Annie?”

“I haven’t seen her today yet.” Pidge replied but then one of their classmates, a girl who sat in front of Lance, turned around to whisper quickly;

“Annie came down with a fever so she can’t come to school.” Then she returned to her business.

Oh. Shit.

Lance’s heart slammed against the wall of his chest when Keith dropped his bag by the foot of the desk and plopped down carelessly on the seat. He looked around for other empty seats but all of those in the back row where Keith usually sat were already occupied.  Lance wanted to scream to the heavens and at Annie for this predicament; an hour and a half with Keith just a ruler’s length from him.

He tried to block the images from the café and the way his heart raced when he saw Keith looking at the gray, rainy sky with those stupid violet eyes and that stupid rain drenched mullet along with his stupid tie lose around his neck to expose his stupid neck. But Keith was always with those asshole seniors and sometimes Lance wanted to kick him on the face to knock sense into him that he was in bad company.

“Are you having a seizure?” Keith suddenly asked from his right and Lance snapped his head at the other teen’s direction.

“Huh?” Lance forced out. “No. No, I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”

“Weird nerd.” Keith muttered and Lance gaped at him, aghast.

“Well, excuse me!”

“Did you say something, Lance?” Coran suddenly turned around from the lesson he was writing on the board and Lance felt his face heat up when the rest of the class turned to stare at him.

“Uhh,” He quickly racked his mind for an excuse. “I was just giving my buddy Keith here a run down on what he’s missed, sir.”

“Aw, that’s very nice of you, Lance.” Coran nodded with approval and Keith appeared to have cringed at the doting ‘aww’. “Carry on, but kindly keep your voices to a minimum.”

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Lance leaned back against his chair. He worked past his prejudices against Keith; Allura had told Lance that Keith was actually trying and putting in effort although he was still difficult to teach. Even so, Lance was glad that Keith had kept his end of the bargain so far but he wished that he wasn’t rude all the time.

Pidge on the other hand, was observant. They had noticed how Lance had been acting whenever Keith was around. Whenever they pointed it out that Lance tears through his salami sub during lunch when Keith walks by, all they received was a grunt while his eyes were focused down. Even Hunk and Shay noticed that Lance acted weird when Keith was nearby and even if Lance wouldn’t admit or would deny it, he obviously had a crush on Keith.

“Hey, Lance.” They murmured just when Lance took out his notebook and started to take down notes.

“What?” The other replied without looking up from his task.

“I think I know who you should give the other coffee card to.” Golden brown eyes twinkled from behind their round rimless glasses before Pidge wagged their eyebrows towards the unsuspecting Keith who idly spun his pen around his fingers.

“Psh,” Lance rolled his eyes and quickly pushed up his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “’Ya wish, Pidgeotto.”

"Keith saved you from that recitation."

"Noooope, not going to happen." Lance whispered back. 

“Hey, nerd.” Keith’s voice interrupted the hushed conversation and the suddenness made Lance’s heart slam against his ribs.

“What?!” he hissed, masking the fluster with irritation in his blue eyes.

Keith studied him for a moment before he replied; “Your face is red.”

~///~///~///~

Allura had made a terrible miscalculation as she stared at the three grocery bags filled with things she bought to restock their cupboards. She had recently received e-coupons from the latest issue of the e-magazine she was subscribed to, Supermom. Allura got so excited that she literally rushed to store on foot which wasn’t a problem since the it was only about three blocks from her apartment.

She had bought one of everything; from toilet cleaners, laundry powder, bacon bits, salad greens, fruit juice, milk, and Lance’s favorite cereal among other. And now, she had three heavy grocery bags to drag back at home. Allura didn’t own a car to carry the heavy load but she had to get these home or the cookie dough tub of ice cream that she bought will meet a devastating, molten demise.

“Would you like some assistance to your car?” The store attendant asked but Allura quickly shook her head and smiled nervously. It was embarrassing enough that she had underestimated the impulsive power of e-coupons, she wasn’t going to dig her grave deeper by telling the attendant that she’s going to drag these heavy bags three blocks to her apartment.

“No, it’s fine.” Allura lied. “I can take them.”

Without another word, she stepped aside so that the customer behind her could get his stuff punched in. Keeping up appearances so that it wasn’t obvious that she fucked up this grocery trip, Allura hauled all three bags until she stepped out into the sidewalk. She placed them down with a huff and stared at them with her hands on her hips.

“Never again.” She swore under her breath. “No insane coupon grocery trips without Lance.”

There wasn’t any choice left for her so Allura started to carry the bags on her own. She had to stop every few minutes to catch her breath and rest her strained muscles but she wasn’t even out of the second block yet.

“Do you need some help?” A familiar voice said behind her and Allura whirled around.

Shiro was heaving in breaths of his own, his hands planted on his hips as he watched Allura. This morning, he had casted aside the usual corporate suits and he wore a sleeveless hoodie shirt, sweat pants, and running shoes.

The shirt stuck around the hard planes of his muscled torso from the sweat that ran down his body. His black hair was disheveled from its usual combed neatness which made Shiro look a tad bit younger. But what got Allura’s full attention was the tattoo sleeve that covered Shiro’s right arm from the shoulder up to his wrist. Since she always saw Shiro in his office wear, Allura wasn’t aware of the colorful, detailed tattoos that covered the whole length of Shiro’s right arm. It was a collection of colors and various designs but what stood out were the same five colorful lions from the mosaic at the Voltron Tower elevator.

Shiro habitually reached up and combed his sweat slick hair with his fingers, the silver strands glinting under the sun. This was the first time Allura had seen Shiro in normal clothes and it made her throat go dry.

“Shiro, hi!” she beamed awkwardly and looked at the load she was trying to get home, feeling embarrassed that she was caught in this dilemma.

“Hi yourself.” Shiro smiled and gestured at the groceries. “I can help you carry those to your car.”

“I don’t have a car.” It was a reluctant answer but Allura shrugged it off. She doesn’t get on the clock until Keith comes home at 3 pm and she heads at Balmera at 4, so she was pretty casual with Shiro while still holding a distance of respect since he was technically her boss.

“Do you live nearby, then?” Shiro asked and when Allura nodded, he took two of the bags from the ground and lifted them before she could stop him, arm muscles straining from the weight. “I’ll help you carry them home.”

“No, I’ll be okay, Shiro!” Allura’s blue-lilac eyes widened. “Please, you don’t have to---“

“Ralax.” Shiro chuckled and the sound made Allura stiffen. She had only been formal and professional with Shiro when she would come to his office to deliver Keith’s weekly progress reports. But now that the two of them were both off the clock, it was pretty overwhelming for Allura to be on casual terms with Shiro.

“I’m more than happy to help.” He said with a subtle smile. “Besides, I wouldn’t let someone in need struggle with all this weight when I can clearly be of assistance.”

“Wow, thank you, Shiro.” Allura knew that Shiro was a gentleman, but for the CEO of Voltron Telcom to actually carry groceries?

“I really appreciate it.”

“Lead the way then.” With that encouragement, Allura nodded and they started to walk to her apartment, she was holding one bag while Shiro held the other two. However, she felt the need to rid the strange silence between them so she started a conversation.

“So, morning run?” She asked, cheerful. Deep inside, she wanted to slap her forehead; of course it was a morning run! He was clearly dressed for it!

“Relieves tension.” Shiro replied, the morning sun beating down on his sweat slicked skin. “I run whenever I have some free time.”

“Funny as it seems, I got too excited after receiving some e-coupons so I rushed here and wasted no time in splurging on toilet cleaners.”

Allura was blabbering. Did Shiro even understand the sanctity of choosing the right toilet cleaner on a grocery trip? Probably not; he had people to clean up after him considering that he was one of the most prominent and powerful men in the city.

“I’m loyal to Lysol.” Shiro flashed a quick smile. “I don’t know about you, but I like how it gets the job done.”

“O-Oh,” Allura was taken back at that statement. “Me too. I’m a Lysol loyalist.”

The look on Allura’s face pretty much reflected her thoughts and Shiro was able to read them clearly.

 “Contrary to popular belief, Allura.” He chuckled and the rich baritone sound wrapped around Allura’s nerves. “I know how to do house chores. I had humble beginnings, actually.”

“Let me guess?” Allura’s tone was light and even playful, Shiro couldn’t help but smile. He was used to women clinging and flirting with him because of his money and title, and he had refused politely. But here comes this intriguing, attractive woman in the form of Keith’s tutor who not once attempted to throw herself at his feet nor did she appear to care of  _who_ Shiro was.

When Allura was on the clock, she was very professional in delivering Keith’s weekly progress reports and when off, she was friendly and warm. It was something new to Shiro but it was something he welcomed and delighted on.

“Go ahead.” Shiro nodded but his tone held the push of a small challenge for Allura to proceed.

“Hm, gym teacher?”

“No.” Shiro shook his head as they rounded a corner and entered the neighborhood. “Guess again.”

“Something that had to do with finance?” Allura asked. Shiro was a CEO and he’s bound to have background training for him to be this successful.

“I was trained at a young age for it.” Shiro replied and Allura turned to look at the man who walked beside her. “But I didn’t push for it and pursued something else until I have to pick it back up again afterwards.”

“So, I’m right?” Allura grinned.

“I clearly remember mentioning that I pursued something else before having to drop that and take up business again.” Shiro arched an eyebrow at Allura with a playful smile. “Take the latter clause into account.”

“Clause…” Allura muttered. “Isn’t that a contract term?” Her eyebrows bunched over her blue and lilac eyes as she thought. Shiro actually found that concentration adorable.

“Oh!” Suddenly, her head snapped up and she looked at him. “You were a lawyer?”

Shiro shook his head. “But you can take the root word ‘law’ into account.”

Then it dawned to Allura.

“You were a police officer.” This time, it wasn’t a question anymore but a statement.

“You’re right.” The man nodded and that made more things run around Allura’s mind. Why did Shiro leave the force? How did a police officer end up becoming a CEO? There so many question Allura wanted to ask but she had to remember her place. However, she showed her victory by grinning at Shiro who in return, chuckled.

“Great job.” He nodded. The two of them fell into a silence once again. However, it was more of a comfortable silence as they took into the early morning sun.

“What other hobbies do you enjoy?” Allura found herself asking after a while and she hoped that she didn’t appear too nosy.

Shiro on the other hand, found it nice to actually have a casual conversation with Allura without having to discuss Keith’s studies. It was refreshing since he was interested to find out more about this woman with those soulful blue-lilac eyes.

“I like to sleep,” he smiled. “If you even call that a hobby.”

“Oh no, it is!” Allura matched her pace with Shiro’s so that they walked beside each other on the sidewalk. “It’s understandable. I’m pretty sure you’re tired all the time so it’s only right that you rest.”

“What about you?” Shiro asked this time. “What do you like to do on your free time?”

“Me?” Allura took a moment to think about it. She liked to do a lot of things like read, cook, and watch Netflix. But besides those, there is one activity she had the need to do at least once a week or she’ll go mad. “I like to walk around.”

“Walk around?”

“Like,” How could Allura explain this without sounding utterly boring? “I like to wander around and take time to take notice of the little things.” She continued. “No particular place, really. I just go where my feet take me.”

“You know that saying; ‘Not all who wander---“

“---Are lost.” Allura finished and when Shiro fell quiet to stare at her, she smiled at him but tore her eyes away and focused on the path they were walking on.

“Indeed so.” Shiro agreed as they continued to walk. He thought of another subject when the silence began to stretch them apart again, so he asked; “Have you lived here long?”

Allura nodded but she didn’t look at Shiro. “I moved here before Lance was born.”

Shiro was about to speak again when they passed by an elderly couple who were on a bench swing at their front porch.

“Oh, look at that young couple, George.” The old lady fawned a little too loudly after she tugged on her husband’s sleeve to get his attention. Allura lowered her head to hide her embarrassed face but nonetheless, kept walking. “Do you remember the first time we grocery shopped as husband and wife?”

“We fought over whether to buy white or wheat bread, Eleanor.” The old man grunted while he puffed on his pipe. He then pointed at Shiro and wagged his finger at him. “You there, lad!”

Shiro and Allura stopped and stared at them, wide-eyed. Shiro looked around looking a little lost and since there was no one else walking but them, he was sure that the old man was talking to him.

“Yeah, you!” The old man called loudly. “I’m telling ‘ya, if she wants the white bread but you want the wheat bread, you get your lady that white bread! Don’t risk it, just don’t! You go out there and get her white bread!”

“Uh, we’re not---“ Shiro stared, dumbfounded. The situation actually threw off his cool and he started to get flustered, but he nodded. The thing with old people is that you got to keep them happy.

They started walking again and when they were a good distance from the old couple’s house, Allura let out a laugh and that lovely sound made Shiro perk up as well because it was contagious. “Well, that was… new.”

“Yeah.” Shiro said but his tone was apologetic. “I’m sorry about that. I’m sure your husband wouldn’t appreciate---“

“I’m not married, Shiro. Lance’s father was never around, he is just a thing of the past now.” Allura was pretty open about that issue. It was a painful memory but Allura was too strong to dwell in the past. There were no custody battles for Lance because Owen just upped and left after Allura told him that she was pregnant. Allura had to face her famil's wrath alone. She left the city she had called home back then to move into a new one, on her own and with an unborn baby. Now, seventeen years later, Owen Montano was just a mistake that made her stronger and which gave her a wonderful gift that went by the name of Lance.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” Shiro apologized again. “Please forget that I asked. I assure you it won’t affect anything.”

However, after Allura said that, there were two words that played over and over again in the privacy of Shiro's mind;

'She's single.' 

He caught himself and shook his head. No, he can’t; this was unprofessional. Tagging them as intrusive thoughts that would probably become forgotten later on, Shiro prepared himself to answer any personal questions Allura might throw in exchange of his accidental prying.

Most likely, it would be about Keith. Shiro saw Allura as an intelligent woman and he believed that she noticed that Keith never called him dad. It wasn’t like Shiro minded because technically, Keith was right. However, he was surprised when Allura asked a different question instead;

“Shiro, do you like no-bake blueberry cheese cake?”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise because it truth, he loved anything blueberry. “Yes, I do.”

“Perfect!” Allura replied with glee in her voice. She then motioned towards the old apartment building that they approached. “I made one last night and you certainly deserve a piece as a token of my appreciation for helping me carry all this blasted weight.” There it was again, her foreign accent dancing around her words.

Shiro couldn’t help but smile.

It was alright, he can always jog again. But he can never say no to blueberry cheesecake and he wanted to try Allura's cooking.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TGIF gone wrong starring Keith Kogane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT. I admit that this chapter is long and hell, it made me feel so many things when I wrote it. First of all, there will be under aged drinking and then mentions of blood. Not too heavy warnings, but warnings nonetheless. 
> 
> Second, pining. Lots of pining. A LOT OF YOU ASKED FOR IT SO HERE YOU GO. ENJOY. 
> 
> Third, for the sake of the story, let's allow Shiro and Keith's complicated relationship without the hassle of the legalities concerning adoption. 
> 
> Finally, thank you once again for all the love and support you have all given this story. I'll keep doing my best to weave this tale of learning to love until we all reach the fitting end journey. As a token of my thanks I posted Shiro's character moodboard aesthetic on my tumblr. Let me know what you think of this update! See you all in the next chapter!!

Chapter 7

**Friday night…**

“Keith, are you listening to me?” Allura frowned at the raven haired teen who sat across her on the lavish couch in the middle of the living room penthouse. It was Friday afternoon and Keith was so done with school that he just wants to get this over with. Shiro was away on a business trip and won’t be back until Sunday so Keith was on his own but that didn’t mean he got the freedom from Allura.

“Huh?” Keith looked up from blankly staring at his notebook. “Uh, yeah.”

“What did I just say?” she prompted and raised an eyebrow at him. She had been trying to teach him the Pythagorean theorem for the past hour but they didn’t appear to be getting anywhere.

“Uh, if line A and line B are known then,….” Keith scratched the back of his head with a deep scowl. Seriously, will he really need this in real life? There are times that he wondered if the schools really prepared them for the real world.

“You know what, just forget it. I still don’t understand this. I think it’s a waste of time.” Keith slammed his notebook closed and tossed it at the far end of the couch. “I won’t be solving for this when I pay my taxes and shit. I should be taught how to do that instead.”

“Keith, your language, please.” Allura scolded softly but her tone was stern and her blue-lilac eyes looked straight into Keith’s dark violet ones.

“So?” Keith crossed his arms over his chest. “Jeeze, it’s not like ‘shit’ is not a common word. I mean, Lance has a dirty language too. I’m not ten.”

Allura sighed. She knew Keith was right but it still wasn’t polite to do so and with Keith arguing with her, they won’t get anywhere. She tried to see the problem in Keith’s point of view and she had observed that he was the kind to get stressed when he doesn’t get what he wants. It was the usual rich kid trope probably from being spoiled by Shiro, but at least Keith wasn’t a rotten tomato unlike many Altean students. From what Lance had told Allura, he had schoolmates who sent their tutors home in tears. Keith, however, was at least trying even if he was moody and stubborn even if Allura had expected him to be more difficult.

“Let’s skip this for now.” Allura offered with a gentle smile and placed down the math book she used which had the name ‘LANCE C.’ scribbled with blue ink on a coral reef washi tape at the back. Keith stared at it and wondered why Lance would use a washi tape with a coral reef design.

“Lance likes coral reefs?” Keith suddenly asked and Allura looked up from arranging the papers in front of her. As a matter of fact, Lance adored everything that’s related to water and he especially loved the ocean. Allura would take him to the bay walk every other weekend when he was little and she even pulled extra shifts to pay for swimming lessons on the summer when Lance was seven.

“He likes being around water.” Allura replied, leaning back into the couch. “He absolutely adores the ocean.” Keith sat there and took in that information while Allura settled comfortable into the conversation. “When he was eight, he would clean his room for twenty five cents so he can save enough to buy a set of Ocean Paradise postcards from the souvenir shop when I took him there. It’s a shame that they closed down the aquarium a few years ago.”

“I heard that the place was bought and the new company owners will open it to the public again.” Keith said. “I think it’ll be sometime this month.”

“I’m sure Lance would be delighted to know that.” And Keith watched the excitement in his tutor’s eyes. Lance seem to have a great childhood; playing, collecting ocean postcards, and learning to skateboard.

When Keith was eight…

He shuddered at the intrusive thoughts of the dark basement at his old house and the look of fear in his mother’s eyes as she wiped away the tears that fell from his own. The footsteps of the intruder at their house… the gun shots… Shiro telling him to keep his eyes closed so he doesn’t have to see all the blood and his dead parents in their living room while he carried Keith out. The clean smell of Shiro’s uniform and his badge digging painfully into Keith’s cheek as he clung on.

 _“Keep your eyes closed, champ.”_ Shiro had told him. _“Keep singing that song.”_

“Keith?” The clarity of Allura’s voice rang through the darkness of his thoughts and it pulled him out. The European accent that danced around his name was like a breath of fresh air which Keith welcomed.

“Yeah?”

“I asked if you’re having any problems at school besides academics.” Allura looked concerned now after Keith had spaced out. “What are your friends like?”

“I don’t have any.” Keith’s answer was straight to the point and that made concern reflect on Allura’s expression. She was hoping that Keith was at least friends with Lance but it seems that Keith was more distant that she’d imagined.

“How come?” she asked.

“I just don’t want to.” Keith sighed and he didn’t really want to answer any more questions. He just wanted to unwind this Friday night and the weekend ahead. In truth, Keith wasn’t really keen on approaching people and forming attachments.

Because when they leave, it would hurt him just like how it hurt when he lost his parents.

Then suddenly, there’s a problem; Lance.

He was loud and he was a jackass but he was laughing all the time. He looked so happy and friendly and despite being treated like shit by the other students, Lance still smiled and he stood firmly on his own two feet. That made Keith admire Lance from afar since the day he met him but it seems like his admiration…evolved.

And it frustrated Keith. It was okay if Lance didn’t feel the same; why would he? Keith’s been nothing to him but a dick. But he guessed that that was okay as long as he can still bask in Lance’s sunshine.

Of course, Keith can’t tell Allura that he’s attracted to her son. Hell, Keith wouldn’t even admit it to himself.

Lance thinks that Keith hates his guts because he’s not the nicest guy around. But even so, never once had he hurt Lance. Stole his homework back in sophomore year, yes; calls him a nerd, yes; goes on neck-to-neck against Lance over any kind of competition, yes, but that was it.

“Well, I encourage you to forge friendships that would last.” Allura’s tone was gentle. “You’ll need people in your life, Keith.”

 “Uh, it’s Friday anyway so can we end a little early?” Keith asked with a sigh in an attempt to change the subject and he even feigned a fake yawn for his tutor.

Allura completely understood that as youth, Keith needed to enjoy his weekend and she didn’t mind that at all since it wasn’t a favor he asked all the time. She nodded and Keith stuffed his things back into his bag while Allura packed up too.

“I’ll see you on Monday, Keith.” She smiled when the teen walked her to the door. “Have a great weekend.”

“Thanks.” Keith nodded once and closed the door.

Plopping back down on the couch, Keith stared at the crystal chandelier that hung over the living room and he felt a nagging, empty frustration in him.

Probably because it was true; Keith’s lonely and he felt alone. Shiro was doing his best to provide for Keith until he was legal and he was grateful that he didn’t end up in a shitty orphanage or the streets. But there was still a certain space between the two that prevented Keith from ever seeing Shiro as a father figure and that was why he refused to be adopted legally.

“Shit,” Keith gritted and roughly combed his fingers through his thick raven hair. “I have no time for this fucking pity party.”

It was hard to swallow his pride even if the facts were already there. He needed a distraction because it was Friday and he just wanted to have fun and enjoy his 48 our freedom before Shiro gets back from his business trip from Toronto.

And as if someone from the Great Above heard him, his phone vibrated from his pocket and he pulled it out to swipe the screen. It was a text blast from Rolo and it read;

**PARTY @MY VILLA. 6 PM.**

Keith smirked. Perfect.

~

The Marquis estate was located in an executive subdivision in the upper side of the city where other prominent families lived. However, a lot of rumors swirled around the Marquis clan and probably the most famous rumor about them is that their family’s wealth came from questionable sources.

Of course, Keith didn’t give a shit about that.

He got out of the shotgun seat of the Range Rover since he called up a classmate to get a ride because his Ducati was still Shiro’s hostage until he at least got B’s this academic quarter. Keith was in no way the social type but he was desperate for a distraction right now and when one came in the form of a party at Rolo’s place, he quickly grabbed it.

Tonight, Keith donned a black V neck shirt underneath a maroon leather jacket and he upped it out with a simple silver necklace chain and a black leather cuff on his wrist. Along with dark jeans and black Doc Martens boots, Keith earned stares from the people who were hanging out in the gazeebos in the front of the mansion.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you in one of Rolo’s parties, Kogane.” A classmate of his fist bumped with Keith and the raven haired teen returned the greeting.

“I had some free time.” Keith replied. In truth, he didn’t really go to parties but there was no harm in trying them out, right? And besides, he was young; he should at least enjoy it.

“Awesome.” His classmate replied and they walked up to the front door of the mansion where the heavy bass of the music pulsed from the other side. “After you.” He gestured.

Keith pulled the door open and stepped inside the lively energy of the party; expensive booze, lights, people on the dancefloor grinding against each other, second hand smoke, and a couple of good looking guys that caught Keith’s attention; this night was going to be awesome.

“Hey, Kogane!” Rolo called from the DJ booth where he pulled down his headphones to call at Keith. “Glad you can make it. Go get wrecked man!”

Oh, he will.

And as Keith wasted the night away, another young man did the opposite on the other side of town while he worked his ass off on a late shift at the Coffee Nook.

~///~///~///~

Matthew Holt sighed as he sat on the park bench, his legs crossed with his right ankle connected to his left knee. He kept his little sister under his watchful eye as they walked around the park with their nose buried into the screen of their smart phone.

“Found that Pokemon yet, Pidgeon?” He asked with a helpless smile. Matt was currently the youngest and most celebrated doctor in the field of neurosurgery. But even if he was an expert with the human brain, he will never understand his sixteen year old sister’s attachment to that silly Pokemon Go.

The Holt siblings looked like identical twins despite their ten year difference. Matt was way taller than pidge but his little sister looked like a smaller and more feminine version of him. But whereas Pidge wore big round rimless glasses, Matt sported silver rimmed rectangular ones.

Pidge grunted, ignoring their older brother as they walked around a bush then ended up where they started.

“It’s almost midnight, Pidge.” Matt sighed. He came home from his rounds earlier that evening before Pidge had dragged him out to the park to look for Pokemon that only spawned at night. The park was actually well lit and there were other people around, specifically, night joggers.

“Yeah, I’m close…I think.” Pidge muttered. “If I don’t’ find that Gastly in ten minutes, we go home.”

“That’s what you said thirty minutes ago.” Matt quirked an eyebrow at them but Pidge groaned.

“Come on, Matty! Just ten more minutes, help me do this for the pride of team Mystic!”

“Team…what?” Matt squinted curiously from under the bright light of the lamppost where the bench he sat on was.

“Uhg. Just…hold on a bit,” Pidge turned away to walk towards a canopy of trees. “Oh, I’m close!” then they dashed off. Matt on the other hand, never took his eyes off his sister and watched as they approached the canopy. But then, something strange happened.

Pidge stood frozen in place, completely rigid. Matt thought it was nothing if the teenager didn’t make a strangled, startled cry and fell back on the ground.

“Katy!” Matt was quickly on his feet and he sprinted towards his sister who was sitting on the ground and skidding back as if they were trying to get away from something. He quickly grabbed them by the shoulders and hauled them up with Pidge clinging to him. “What happened?!”

Pidge lifted a shaky finger and pointed at a dark lump along the shadows of the canopy. “D-D-Dead…bo-body…” they forced out.

“What the hell?” Matt quickly took out his phone and pulled up the flashlight app. True enough there was a body splayed faced down on the grass. Being a doctor, gore did not faze Matt so he quickly approached the body and knelt to his hunches to check for a pulse.

“He’s alive!” Matt exclaimed and turned the man over. When Pidge recognized that mullet, their eyes widened.

“It’s Keith!” they gasped, pointing at the unconscious teen. “Oh my god, that’s Keith Kogane, what the hell!”

“You know this kid?” Matt frowned. The teen literally reeked of vomit, alcohol, and second hand smoke. Matt quickly checked for any signs of alcohol poisoning and thankfully found none.

“Yeah, we’re in the same class.” Pidge nodded pushing their glasses up the bridge of their button nose.

Matt looked down disapprovingly at Keith and shook his head, he looked at his sister again. “We should call his parents and get him home. Do you know their number?”

Pidge shook their head. “He stays with Takashi Shirogane. But I do have my doubts about their familial relationship, I’ve dug through the school archives.”

“Shirogane?” Matt’s eyes widened. “The CEO of Voltron Telcom?” he scowled at Pidge again. “We’ll talk later about your bad hacking habits. Do you know anyone we can call to ask for help to get your classmate home?”

Pidge rolled their eyes when Matt mentioned their hacking as a ‘bad habit’. But then, Keith suddenly groaned, turned to the side and hurled before falling unconscious again. Matt quickly placed Keith in the recovery position so that he doesn’t choke on his own vomit.

 “Call someone now, Katy.”

“Okay.” Pidge didn’t mind being called by their birth name as long as they were family. They pulled up their contacts and called up the only person they believed could help.

“Hello, Lance?”

~///~///~///~

Lance almost dropped the pitcher of coconut cream he was putting away into the fridge when Pidge told them what happened. Since the café was already closing up for the night, it was alright to use their phones since business hours were over.

“What?!” he demanded into the receiver. “Is he hurt?”

Pidge was quiet on the other side of the line, their best friend senses tingling. News of Keith being passed out wasted on the park and the first thing Lance asks is whether he was hurt.

 **‘He’s fine.’** Pidge replied and Lance felt his airways loosen but he caught himself before he can breathe a sigh of relief. **‘My brother checked him out, he’ll live. Could you take him home? We brought a car with us but we don’t know where he lives nor do I have Takashi Shirogane’s number.’**

Since he just voluntary stayed to help clean up, Lance can leave if ever he wishes and the park where Pidge and Dr. Holt were was just walking distance from the Coffee Nook.

“Alright, I’m on my way. Don’t let Keith do anything stupid.” Lance said, untying his apron, then he froze and asked; “Wait, the fuck are you and your brother doing in the park this late in the night?”

Pidge was quiet for a moment; **‘Uh. I was looking for a Gastly.’** They admitted. **‘I did find one…It was floating on Keith’s face but I wasn’t able to catch it because I thought I found a dead body.’**

 So, Keith attracts Ghost/Poison types. Lance rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised? I’ll just call my mom to tell Shiro, she has his number.”

 **‘’Kay, whatever.’** Pidge sung out. **‘Now hurry your over here. Your boyfriend is calling for you.’**

“Pidge, what the fu--!“ Lance protested, his face bursting in heat and chest pounding. He was about to make a snappy come back but Pidge hung up. He quickly told Cindy that he needed to go and rushed out with his bag without an explanation. As he jogged three blocks to where the park was, Lance made a mental note to get back at Pidge later.

“Keith, you really fucked up this time.” Lance sighed but he can’t help but feel the urge of his feet making him rush there because Keith’s safety was still a priority.

~///~///~///~

Allura paced around the small living room with her phone in hand. She had just received a call from Lance telling her what happened to Keith. She was glad that her student was in good hands since Lance, Pidge, and Dr. Matt Holt were there but the problem now is calling Shiro.

She glanced at the time on her phone; 12:30 AM.

Shiro was probably asleep from being exhausted with work and Allura felt bad that she had to disturb him, that man looked like he didn’t get enough sleep, but this was an important matter. Steeling her resolve, Allura pressed call.

 **‘Hello?’** Shiro’s voice came on the other line and it was deep and husky with sleep. Allura found a strange electricity grate along her nerves at the sound.

“Shiro?” Allura asked. “I’m sorry to disturb you this late in the night.”

 **‘Allura?’** Shiro’s voice was suddenly alert and there was a shuffling sound of sheets rubbing against his skin. **‘What’s wrong?’**

“Well, it’s Keith.”

 **“Is he okay?”** Shiro sounded deeply concerned now with a tinge of panic.

“One of their classmates and their brother found Keith passed out drunk in the park just a little while ago.” Alurra explained. She walked towards the window to open it and let some cool night breeze in.

“Lance called me to say that he’s on his way there to help and bring Keith home.” Allura explained. “He said that if you don’t mind, he’ll stay at your place to keep an eye on Keith throughout the night to make sure nothing bad happens.”

 **‘Dear god, that kid.’** Shiro groaned on the other line and muttered; ‘ **I ought to put a tracking bracelet on him.’**

The mood was lightened when Allura chuckled softly. “I’m sure he’s going to regret it in the morning. He’ll learn his lesson so save that for another time.”

 **‘Thank you for letting me know, Allura.’** There was a smile on Shiro’s tone from the other side and Allura felt warmth grow within her as she stared at the stars in the night sky **. ‘Please tell Lance to make himself at home.’**

Allura was about to reply when a new voice interrupted from the background on Shiro’s side.

 **‘Takashi, who’s that?’** A woman asked followed by a sleepy yawn and the shuffling of silk sheets along naked skin. It immediately sent a spear of hurt in Allura’s heart, her chest tightening and a lump forming in her throat.

 **‘Just an emergency matter at home, sorry to wake you.’** Shiro’s words sounded muffled as if he covered the receiver of his phone with his hand. Then he quickly turned back to the receiver and quickly said; **‘Thank you again, Allura, good night.’** Then he hung up.

“Good…night.” Allura whispered into the emptiness while she lowered the phone from her ear.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I was made to keep your body warm  
> But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms." 
> 
> -Kiss me, Ed Sheeran

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT. I got A LOT of reviews from the previous chapter, most of them filled your desire to kick Shiro's ass. I admit that it is both adorable that ya'll rooting for Allura. In this chapter however, I did my best to research about caring for a drunk person. 
> 
> Second, thank you all so very much! Despite all of you wanting to strangle Shiro, I felt so much love for the characters nonetheless. So again, thank you! You are all inspiring and I will do my best to finish this story for you guys! 
> 
> Finally, you all wanted Klance? HERE IT IS. ENJOY.

Chapter 8

“Over here!” Pidge waved at Lance who came in into the park from the direction of the Coffee Nook café. He really looked like he just rushed out of work since he was still wearing his brown barista polo shirt and a name pin that read; ‘Hi! I’m Lance!’

Lance spotted them and strode there quickly.

“Hey, Pidge,” he greeted and nodded at Pidge’s older brother. “Hi, Dr. Holt.”

“Hi, Lance.” Matt returned the greeting. Lance didn’t really have to call him ‘Doctor’ because he was Pidge’s best friend. He’s seen this young lad grow up from when they were freshmen with Pidge in Altea but it seems that Lance was just too nice and polite to call him by his first name.

With his brown eyes that were darker than Pidge’s golden ones, he turned his attention to Keith who was sitting, propped up against the trunk of a tree. He was conscious now but his gaze was empty and distant like he stared at nothing. He loosely clutched a water bottle with both his hands but that was it while he stared at his designer boots.

“Oh, man.” Lance muttered, frowning. This was the first time he saw Keith like this and it was pretty horrible. Keith really was a mess; his pale skin was pasty, his hair was all over the place, and true enough, he reeked of booze and vomit.

“Where’s Lance?” Keith suddenly asked, his words slurred and drunk, but he wasn’t really looking at anyone. It was like he asked the empty space the question. Lance, however, was taken back and looked at Pidge and Matt, confused. His heart raced; this was actually the first time in weeks that Keith hadn’t called Lance ‘nerd’ but by his actual name.

“I told you,” Pidge crossed their arms over their chest while they studied the wasted teen. “He’s been asking for you since he regained consciousness.”

“But why would he look for me?” Lance asked and this time but Pidge only shrugged.

“Beats me.”

“Let’s get him home.” Matt prepared to haul the wasted Keith up.

“Up you go, buddy.” Lance grunted as he followed Matt’s lead. The two of them braced each of Keith’s arms over their shoulders and helped him up to walk while Pidge took the water bottle.

“Have you called other the adults?” Matt asked Lance who nodded. “Does Keith’s dad know?”

“I had my mom call Shiro to tell him what happened.”

It was a good thing that Matt didn’t park his car far which meant they didn’t have to struggle with Keith’s dead weight hanging between them. He was conscious and out of instinct but he did walk even if it was wobbly. If it wasn’t for Matt’s and Lance’s combined efforts, Keith wouldn’t be able to get home in the state he was currently in.

Pidge buckled up on the shotgun seat after they assisted in getting Keith in the back seat. Lance sat beside him to make sure he didn’t sway with the motions of the car and hit his head or something.

“Where’s his place, Lance?” Pidge asked in the darkness of the car while their brother started to drive along the street. Even if it was already late, the nightlife of the city was just starting to come to life especially that it was Friday night.

“Balmera Tower.” Lance said, referring to what Allura had told him. “40th floor. Suite A-1.”

“Oohh, nice.” Matt whistled as he eased the car into a stop on a red light. “Top floor penthouse, huh? I’ve been to one of Balmera’s function halls for a medical seminar and I’ve got to admit, that that place is pretty classy.”

“I’ve never been there.” Lance admitted. He was shoulder-to-shoulder with Keith, propping the other teen up between him and the door. No one really invited Lance to parties or events at their place because he didn’t really fit in that much in school because of his stature. But Lance didn’t mind; he would rather come over to Hunk’s or Pidge’s place to hang out than try to force himself with people who didn’t give a damn about him.

“Then, come over.” Keith suddenly slurred and Lance snapped his attention to him but when he turned to look at the other guy beside him, his blue eyes locked with deep violet ones. The way Keith looked at Lance right now was mellow and that gave off the impression of innocence.

“What do you know?” Pidge chirped. “Keith’s talking! How are you feeling, mullet man?”

In response, Keith only grunted and squeezed his eyes to shut off the headlights from the cars that drove past them at the opposite lane. His head was pounding and it was a bitch to try and keep his stomach calm from the movements of the vehicle.

“Lance…”

Following the gentle swerve of the car that Matt careful maneuvered through the streets, Keith’s head lolled to the side and he laid it against Lance’s shoulder.

“U-Uh, Keith?” Lance gulped at the contact as he glanced down at the soft nest of raven black hair. “What’s up, buddy?” On the front seat, Pidge was grinning while Matt focused on the road.

“I want to go home.” Keith whined innocently like a lost child. “I want to go home now.”

“That’s what we’re doing.” Lance replied. He tried to scoot away from the other teen but Keith was stubbornly clingy when the alcohol in his system. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Lance, pulling the other close.

“Lance…”

“Y-Yeah?” Lance’s heart was racing and his cheeks burst with heat from the blood that had risen up to his face. If it was daylight right now, the pinkish blush on his dark tanned skin would be so obvious. His glasses slid down his nose when Keith nuzzled against the bare skin of Lance’s throat.

“K-Keith!” He protested, flustered. “Cut it out, man! That’s weird!”

“Shhh… Quiet, baby. You’re too loud.” Kieth mumbled and from the shotgun seat, Pidge burst into giggles and secretly took out their phone to take a snap of the adorable moment.

‘Baby?’ Really?

They quickly forwarded the image to the squad’s facebook group chat for Hunk and Shay to see with the caption: **‘Lance found a cuddle buddy! He smells like vodka and puke right now, but a cuddle buddy nonetheless.~’**

A few seconds later, Hunk’s reply came in with a soft chime;

**Hunk Garrett: “I’m going to save this pic for their wedding video.”**

Then Shay’s came in just as quickly with;

**Shayla Denvers: “#I ship it!”**

In the span of those few minutes, their group chat became lively.

**Pidge Holt: “Lance will probably murder me when he sees this but it’s going to be so worth it. Special mention: HI, LANCE. ENJOYING THE CUDDLES, BRO?”**

**Shayla Denvers: “I’ve saved it and made 500 copies.”**

**Hunk Garrett: “Pidge, our bet is still on?”**

**Pidge Holt: “Of course. Prepare your ten bucks.”**

These two dorks are going to be dating by the end of the month and Pidge believed that they’re on the lead on the bet Their squad is a beautiful chaos; they tend to get on each other’s necks but they were a tight knit group who stuck together like family. Therefore, all secrets are kept within their circle.

“Hold tight onto him, Lance.” Matt eased the car and signaled to the left as they turned a corner. “We’re almost there.”

“Lance…”

Lance felt warmth wash over him when Keith pulled him closer, his breath hot against Lance’s collar bone. He tried to pry away Keith’s arms around him but the wasted teen just held on stubbornly.

“Hey… Lance…”

“What is it, Keith?” Lance breathed through gritted teeth and flipped Pidge the bird while Matt wasn’t looking when they wagged their eyebrows at him.

“What’s the cutest letter in the alphabet?” Keith’s words were slurred.

Lance’s brows then furrowed over his bespectacled gaze, confused; “What?”

“U.”

Not being able to hold it in anymore, Pidge burst into laughter at the front and Keith flashed a glare at them but nonetheless, paid no mind.

“Huh? I don’t get it---“ But finally, it dawned onto Lance. “What the hell are you talking about?!” Lance‘s eyes widened behind his glasses at Keith’s drunken pick up line. “Dude, shut up!”

 “Shhh…Baby, shhhh…” Keith cooed again. Man, he was really wasted and it was a surprise that he hasn’t thrown up Matt’s car yet. “Baby, please… don’t be loud. The little bug-eyed squirt can her ‘ya.”

“Hey!” Pidge protested and turned to their brother. “Matt, could you kick his ass out? He can crawl.”

The doctor sighed but there was a small smile on his lips. He had expected Keith to be violent when intoxicated, but it appears that he was quite the opposite. With the clinginess and the bad pick up lines, Matt would rather have that.

“You know what they say,” Matt said to his little sister. “Drunk words are sober thoughts. I guess you really are a little bug-eyed squirt.”

“Okay, you know what?” Pidged sighed. “I’m going to let that go because Keith has no idea what he’s saying.”  

Lance ignored Pidge’s groans of protest and looked at Keith who was looking up at him with sleepy, violet eyes behind the black bangs that framed them.

So Keith calling him ‘baby’ is actually---

“Yup, where here, folks.” Matt announced as he pulled the BMW into a parking slot out front.

“Lance…”

“What. Is. It. Keith.” Lance breathed each word in frustration as the smell of alcohol filled his nose.

“Don’t leave.”

Those words were so unpredictable that Lance didn’t know what to say, but he knew what to do. His instinct to ask Shiro’s permission to stay over was right because he really can’t leave Keith on his own. Yet, something deep in him called out. It was a small voice at the back of his head but the things it said sent his heart racing in his chest. However, he shook it off and focused on helping Matt get Keith to his place.

 

Finally, Keith’s senseless drunk talk died down as Lance and Matt helped the wasted teen out of the car to resume the support so he can walk.

As they walked into the lobby, the night shift attendant stared at them with horrified eyes but they assured him that they got everything in control. To clear out the situation, Lance also told them that he got the green light from Shiro to stay with Keith overnight.

“Wow, Lance, you’re really going a mile for Keith, huh?” Pidge asked once they were in the elevator. “I thought you hated his guts.”

“Nah, I don’t.” Lance admitted. “Not all the time, I guess.”  

From between him and Matt, Keith slightly parted his chapped lips as if to say something but closed them again, deciding that he’s too tired to talk. When the elevator dinged on the 40th floor, the three of them dragged Keith out until they reached the door with the golden plaque which read ‘Suite A-1’.

“Keith, where’s your keycard?” Pidged asked but Keith just stared at them with a couple of blinks and shrugged.

“Oh my god!” Lance groaned. “Keith, don’t tell me you locked yourself out!”

“Noooo~” They were all shocked when Keith chuckled, even if the sound was laden with liquor. “You think Shiro would be stoooopid?”

“Why does he call his dad by his first name?” Matt mouthed at Pidge who looked back at him just as confused, and shrugged.

“Alright, so how will you get in, genius?” Lance asked. Keith then motioned at the keypad on the side of the door.

“Ey, squirt, type in 061016.”

Pidge shot Keith a glare when he called them squirt again but wordlessly complied. After they did, their eyes widened when the keypad shifted and automatically split in the middle to reveal a hand print on black glass. Matt on the other hand, was amazed that Keith could even remember the code.

“Sweet mother of paladins…” Pidge breathed as they adjusted their glasses to stare at the device. “A hand print scanner and it’s the latest model too!”

Keith grinned but then he made a hurling sound and pursed his lips together to keep it down.

“Get him inside, holy shit!” Lance panicked and Pidge quickly grabbed Keith’s other hand and slammed it against the scanner. After three seconds, the device beeped and the light turned green followed by the sound of the internal lock coming off within the door. Lance quickly pushed the door open and grabbed the nearest container he could get it hands on to bring it to Keith.

Keith grabbed it and let it all out, vomiting into an expensive looking black porcelain vase.

“Aw, that’s nasty, Keith.” Lance shuddered but Keith just groaned, still clutching the vase to him in case his stomach decided to betray him again.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay with him?” Pidge tore their eyes away from the unsightly situation and they couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor vase.

“Yeah.” Lance sighed. “I—“ he trailed off. “I just can’t leave him on his own like this. Someone’s going to have to make sure he doesn’t choke and die on his own puke.”

Keith groaned again.

Matt finally nodded after he assessed the wasted young man sitting on the floor. He instructed Lance what to do in case certain scenarios present themselves and Lance nodded in return, taking in the information.

“Give him lots of water to flush out the alcohol and to keep him hydrated.” Matt told Lance. “In the morning, if he’s hurting, give him Ibuprofen in moderate amounts and some antacid in case his stomach goes acidic.” Before he left with Pidge, he pulled out his wallet and took out a business card.

“If something goes wrong,” Matt added. “Call 911 and then call me. I’ll be at the hospital asap.”

“Thanks so much, Dr. Holt.” Lance smiled and pocketed the card. “I’m sorry you had to be the one to find him.”

 “We’re happy to help.” From beside Matt, Pidge smiled at Lance. Then they shrugged, carefree. “Besides, I managed to catch that Gastly. I even named it Keith.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow to ask how he is. Take care, you two.” Matt finally said and with a good night, the Holt siblings took their leave.  

Lance turned to Keith and knelt to his haunches to help the other teen up. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Can you do it?”

“I want to brush my teeth.” Keith grunted and he leaned into Lance who in return, felt his chest pound once again at the contact. “I want to shower. Bathe me, Lance.”

“Uh, no, sorry, Oh Mullet-ness, not gonna happen.” Jeeze, was Keith really this spoiled? Then the thought of seeing Keith in the shower invaded Lance’s thoughts and he too, felt dizzy. He had to take deep breaths to regain control.

“I feel gross. I want to bathe.” Keith insisted stubbornly and Lance just sighed.

“Fine.” He said. “A quick shower, brush your teeth, and then bed, do you hear me?”

“’Yer a naggy boyfriend, Lance.” Keith chuckled and Lance scowled but felt his face burn. He had to force himself to think that Keith was still drunk and had no control on what he was saying.

However, Matt Holt’s words echoed in his mind; “Drunk words are sober thoughts.”

“Yeah, sure.” Lance just decided to play along with it since Keith probably wouldn’t remember this in the morning.

“Soooo, does that mean you’re saying yes?” Keith slowly slid his leather jacket off and let it drop on the floor.

“No!” Lance protested. Shit, first Keith clings to him like a koala in front of Pidge and Matt and now he’s assuming Lance to be his boyfriend. Really? Can this night get any weirder?

“Aw. Why not?” Keith pouted, his shoulders slouching. He really did look disappointed to Lance’s surprise but then again, that’s probably just the vodka talking.

“You didn’t ask and you’re drunk.” Lance retorted and guided Keith to the first floor bathroom. “Ask again when you’re sober.”

“Does that mean you’re giving me a chance?” Keith appeared to have perked up and Lance realized what he just said.

Oh shit.

“U-uh,” Lance stuttered and looked ahead to the bathroom door where he led Keith. “Yeah, sure, whatever, Keith.”

“This is fucking aweso---“ Keith was interrupted by another hurl which sent Lance into panic again. The carpet was so nice and fluffy and it’s going to be a bitch to clean. He literally sprinted to the bathroom with Keith in tow and quickly led him to the toilet where Keith dropped to his knees and hugged bowl before he threw up again.

“God.” Lance muttered as he fetched a glass of water and held it against Keith’s lips. After a couple of gulps Keith, pushed the glass away. “Seriously, Keith. How the hell did you end up in the park?”

“Don’t remember.” Keith shrugged. “I just went to Rolo’s place for a party. ‘Rest is history.”

“And they just let you walk away wasted like that?” Lance demanded in disbelief. Rolo’s house was pretty far from where Keith ended up and he could’ve gotten hurt. “What if you got hit by a car, huh?!”

Truth be told, Lance felt concern and rage because it was true, Keith could have gotten hurt in his state.

“So you do care.” Keith smiled and hell, it was slow and it appear to glint within his violet irises.

“Of course I do!” Lance snapped but when he realized what he said, it was already too late because Keith’s smile blew up into a full grown grin.

Heaving a huffed sigh, Lance helped Keith up to his feet. “This conversation is a dream and in the morning you’ll forget about it. Get undressed and go get washed up.”

“Help me get undressed and join me.” Keith teased. Lance masked the fluster with irritation and he grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf before he threw it at Keith’s face.

“Fuck you, man!” Lance became defensive and his face was completely red. “I’ll be right outside. Please don’t fall and hit your head.” Then he marched out and slammed the door on Keith.

~

While Keith was cleaning up in the bathroom, Lance had gathered the things Matt asked him to retrieve from a medicine cabinet he found. Tracking Keith’s room wasn’t hard either considering that there were only two people who lived here. However, Lance didn’t enter Keith’s room because of two reasons;

One, it was rude to go into someone else’s room without them inviting him in. Of course, with an exception with Hunk. The guy’s like his brother and he can raid their fridge and his room if he wanted. Then again, Hunk gave him a permanent permission to.

Two, he was afraid of what he might find in Keith’s room. So what Lance did was that he waited outside until Keith padded upstairs. So, to pass the time, Lance scrolled around his phone while googling how to take care of a drunk person.

“Why are you staying there?” Keith asked from the end of the hallway where he landed after padding up the stairs. When Lance looked up, his throat went tight and his heart slammed against the wall of his chest.

Keith was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. And hell, he was pretty well built; his torso was all lean muscle. It didn’t look hard but the valleys and ridges on his body were enough to tell that Keith engaged in some kind of physical activity.

“Put some damn clothes on!” Lance exclaimed and tore his eyes away, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“They’re in my room.” Keith walked past him and opened the door to his room. “Get your ass in here, Lance.”

If that was Keith’s way of saying ‘Come in’, then Lance did as told and stepped inside. Keith’s room was nothing less expected from a teenager of his stature. It was a little messy with clothes on the floor, some band posters on the wall, a very expensive desktop computer in the corner and an unmade queen sized bed. There was also an acoustic guitar propped against the wall by the foot of the bed post.

Lance placed the glass of water and the tablets on the bedside table before he noticed Edith Hamilton’s Mythology was placed there with a piece of candy wrapper used as a bookmark. Wow, so Allura was actually succeeding in helping Keith study.

But then, Lance heard the heavy drop of the towel on the floor and his whole boy froze.

Keith was naked behind him.

His blood thundered in his ears and he felt his joints lock into place. If this goes on, Lance might be the one who would need to go to the hospital due to a heart attack. He heard the grate of fabric against skin before Keith said, his words still slurred;

“You can look now.”

“God fucking dammit, Keith!” Lance flailed his arms exasperatedly. “Would it kill you to warn me that you’re going to get naked?!”

But Keith just shrugged and climbed into bed, now wearing an old My Chemical Romance shirt and sweatpants before he moaned in bliss with his head hit the pillow. With a tired sigh from the events of the night after a late shift at work, Lance sighed. He sat on the edge of the bed and got the glass of water to bring it to Keith’s lips again.

“Here, drink some more, you threw up a lot. You need to stay hydrated. Doctor’s orders.” Lance said while Keith struggled to prop himself against one elbow and managed to gulp down half of the water in the glass.

“I’ll be on the couch downstairs if you need me.” Lance placed the glass back on the night stand before he reached behind his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. He got up to his feet but suddenly, Keith grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back to sit on the bed.

“Lance,” Keith sat up and Lance stared, his blue gaze wide and startled. The two of them stared at each other for a while before Keith reached out slowly and very, very carefully, pulled off Lance’s glasses.

“Uh, Keith…?”

“Your eyes sure are pretty.” Lance wasn’t able to continue when Keith said that, his own violet eyes not deviating away from Lance’s blue pools.

“They’re really not---“ Lance began again, heart clogging his throat. “They’re just---“

“Shut up,” Keith cut him short. Suddenly he leaned in, his hand crawling to rest on the back of Lance’s neck with his fingers gently wrapping around the tanned skin on his nape. “I think they’re beautiful. Fight me on this.”

Ah. Classic Keith.

Lance was too frozen to move and for someone who was wasted, Keith moved fast. He leaned nearer and nearer until he pressed his forehead against Lance’s. With their lips just inches from each other’s, Lance’s breath mingled with Keith’s along with the scent of soap, mint, and fresh clothes. Blood burned as it rushed through his veins and his vision was filled with nothing but Keith, the warmth of their foreheads pressed against each other’s prominent between them.

Finally, Keith closed the distance between their lips.

But instead of a kiss, Keith missed. His lips grazed against Lance’s cheek before his head lolled down and landed on the crook on of Lance’s shoulder.

Keith was knocked out cold and Lance sat there, dumbfounded and blushing.

Calming down, he then carefully laid Keith back down on the bed and pulled the blanket over him before Lance carefully pried his glasses from Keith’s fingers and put them back on.

“Sweet dreams, mullet dork.” Lance smiled gently, his cheeks still warm and his heart pounding from the almost-kiss. Had Keith continued, it would have been Lance’s first.

He turned off the lights and but he only closed the door far enough that there was a gap that let the hallway light in. It would be best not the completely close the door so Lance would be able to hear if anything was wrong.

Lance went downstairs and plopped down on the couch after he kicked off his shoes and placed his glasses on the coffee table along with his bag and his phone. He was very exhausted from the long night he had and when he glanced at the elegant wall clock that hung on the way, he saw that it was already 2:30 AM.

He knew he wasn’t going to get much sleep since he’d had to check up on Keith every few hours. Then again, sleep was not going to come easy after what just happened between them. Slowly, Lance reached up to gently touch the spot on his cheek where Keith’s lips grazed against and it felt warm as if the contact still throbbed.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Lance.” He told himself and he turned to the side of the couch to try to get comfortable. “He won’t even remember when he wakes up.”

Sleep finally washed over Lance when he gave into the exhaustion that burdened his body. He fell into a shallow, dreamless sleep with disappointment a pang of ache in his chest.

God, Keith’s aim sure was shitty.  

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after was just as awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments from Keith's little episode from the last chapter got so many overwhelming reviews and I wasn't really expecting it, omg. Let me just say that soon, Klance and Shallura will never be the same. Also, since this fandom is relatively young and there aren't many characters introduced in canon yet, I'll be using a lot of OCs here as support for the story. 
> 
> Thank you again so much for the love and support! I must say that you guys are a lively bunch! Here's the 9th chapter, I hope you all enjoy it and I will see you in the next update! Please feel free to let me know about your thoughts! 
> 
> Oh, I would like to greet one of my readers, Ptitpanda from tumblr! Happy birthday to you, my smol escargot child! May your special day be filled with Shallura!

Chapter 9

“Son of a bitch…” Keith groaned when he opened his eyes and they stung from the glare of the sun. He pushed himself up with his elbows and sat on the bed. His head was pounding, his eyes were hypersensitive from the light, his throat was parched, and he was hungry.

Keith glanced at the digital clock on his night stand; 1 PM. When he grabbed his phone and pressed the button to light it up. His eyes widened when a notification window popped out and read;

**Shiro – 103 missed calls, 59 unread messages.**

Keith groaned; Shiro was going to kill him, go to an antique shop to buy a spell book and then raise him from the dead just so he could kill him again.

His brain was still rebooting and hell, it took a while for him to remember the vague events of the night before. Keith remembered participating in a chugging contest against one of the seniors and it was even possible that he made out with a couple of guys in a dark corner. GDFR was blaring on the bass speakers the world was spinning on the dancefloor.

After that…

After that…

_’Your eyes are really beautiful.’_

_‘They’re not…’_

A memory of those ocean blue eyes that were a sharp contrast against dark tanned and Lance’s face in a close proximity from Keith’s flashed before his eyes. Suddenly, Keith jumped out of bed but he lost balance and his knee hit the night stand, making the half full glass of water wobble but not spill.

“Fuck!” Keith gritted through clenched teeth as he grasped his knee to ease the pain. Taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, he looked around; his room was clean, the clothes he wore last night were in the laundry basket by the door, and there were medicine by the glass water.

Basically, there were signs that another person was in the penthouse with him. Suddenly, Keith noticed a small overturned card on the floor near him and he reached for it. When he turned it over, he saw that it was a loyalty card for the Coffee Nook and it was unused. Keith had only been there once and that was the time when he was caught in the rain and needed to seek shelter.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated on his hand and he looked at the screen and read the new message;

**From Lance Calhoun (1:10 PM):**

**Hey, ‘sup, if ur not dead. Sorry, had to go can’t leave mom alone. I made u an omelet so u can survive, it’s in the fridge, just heat it up. Ktnxbye.**

The text message sealed everything; Lance was here. Lance brought him home. Lance took care of him. How was it going to be when they see each other at school? How the hell will Keith be able to face him after such an embarrassing night?

Keith sat by the foot of his bed in a trance with those questions spinning around his head. He ran his fingers through his ruffled hair, the dark locks sticking out on every direction as he caught a clear memory of the last thing he did before blacking out;

Lance’s was forehead against his and he leaned in.

“Shit…Shit…” He chanted over and over again in disbelief. His violet eyes were wide and color flooded back on his face when he felt his cheeks burn. “Did I… Did I kiss him?”

~///~///~///~

Lance idly poked on the leftover meatloaf on his plate. There were deep circles around his eyes from the lack of sleep but he can’t go back since his body clock was a bitch. Lance didn’t get much sleep last night because he checked up on Keith every hour and a half to make sure that he was okay.

It was a smooth night and Lance was sure that Keith would be fine, he allowed himself to catch up on sleep until 9 AM when he called Pidge’s brother to update him on Keith’s condition. When Dr. Holt gave him the green light that Keith’s was okay, he upped and left after making an omelet for his poor hung over classmate. Lance sighed, sometimes even he can’t believe that he’s too nice for his own good but he wasn’t sure if Balmera Towers offered food room service and he didn’t want Keith to die of starvation.

“Lance?” Allura asked. His mother sat across him, mindlessly stirring her apple juice with a small spoon. It was Saturday and the two of them were not in the proper state of mind after the events of the previous night. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Just tired, mom.” Lance replied without his usual cheer. Similarly, Lance noticed that Allura wasn’t very chatty as well. She would either tell Lance about the latest episode of Hell’s Kitchen or Game of Thrones but Allura looked like she didn’t sleep well too.

“What about you?” Lance threw back the question as he set his fork down. “You’re not very mom-like today.”

“Oh?” Allura raised her eyebrows to try and look interested because Lance was really good at reading people and Allura, well, Allura kind of wore her heart on her sleeve, with restrictions, of course. “I just didn’t sleep well because I was worried about you.”

It was a half truth; yes, Allura was worried that Lance didn’t come home last night to stay at Keith’s place, but the other reason she laid awake staring at the ceiling was because of the woman’s voice she heard on Shiro’s end.

There was a storm of confusion and turmoil of emotions that clashed within her. Allura wasn’t sure how she felt; Awkwardness? Embarrassment? Jealousy?

It’s impossible, Allura can’t actually be jealous! Shiro was the one who hired her to tutor Keith so he was technically her boss. Could it be Keith’s mother? No, it can’t be, they didn’t even have the same last name. There were no pictures in their living room that showed them as a family whenever Allura would be there during her tutoring sessions. The whole place was basically a bachelor’s pad with no sign of feminine presence.

Allura didn’t pry in private matters but she was very observant which made her an excellent teacher and the most prominent evidence she had was that Shiro did not wear a wedding ring.

Still, she tried to root out why she felt like she was pining. Allura knew that she had to douse the flames of infatuation with cold water before she ends up being hurt again. She made a mistake by choosing a man once, and even if he did give her a wonderful son, Owen didn’t want anything to do with Lance.

No custody battles. No assistance. Not even a single word since he walked out of her dorm back in college after she told him that she was pregnant.

“—om?... Mom? MOM!” Lance’s voice broke through her stormy thoughts which had darkened her usual bright blue-lilac gaze.

“Hm?” Allura smiled at Lance who pointed aggressively at her phone that was set down on one side of their small table.

True enough, Allura’s phone was blaring and was vibrating like mad but she was too engrossed in her thoughts to even notice. When she glanced at the device, color drained from her face when she saw ‘Takashi Shirogane’ flashing on the screen.

“Well, aren’t you going to answer that?” Lance asked. He cocked his head to the side out of curiosity when Allura just stared at the phone frozen and with wide eyes.

“Mom?”

Allura shook her head with an uneasy smile.

“What the hell?” Lance furrowed his brows which bunched up over his glasses.

“It might be work and I’m off today.” Allura lied with a wide, nervous smile but Lance just quirked a brow this time, completely seeing through the excuse.

“Dear blue paladin…” Lance sighed. “Give me that.” Before Allura could stop the teen, Lance had already grabbed his mother’s phone and swiped on the screen to answer.

“Hellooo~ Lance speaking!” he sang cheerfully on the receiver and Allura slapped her palm against her forehead. “Oh, hi, Shiro! How’s the business trip?”

 **‘Lance? Hi, there.’** Shiro’s smooth baritone filled the kitchenette when Lance put the phone on speaker mode. **‘Where’s your mother?’**

Allura started to panic and made gestures for Lance like they were playing a  manic game of charades like her life depended on it.

“Uh… she’s….out.” Lance read through when Allura jabbed her finger towards the door’s direction. “She forgot her phone.” Unfortunately, Lance made it worse by adding; “She’s in her…Saturday…book club. Yeah, that’s it! She just adores Judith McNaught.”

Allura gaped at her son in disbelief.

 **‘Oh, that’s… interesting.’** Shiro sounded surprised. **‘I was going to call to ask how Keith is but since you’re on the phone already…’**

 “Oh, Keith?” This time, Lance’s voice suddenly kicked up a pitch higher and sweat beaded on his forehead. “Yeah, Keith! Don’t worry, Shiro, he’s alive---“

Allura scowled at Lance and glared at him the way a mother silently did before she counted to three when her child was naughty in public.

“I-I mean, he’s okay.” Lance flashed a smile at Allura. “He _might_ have puked in the black vase by the door but hey, look at it this way; at least it wasn’t on the carpet!” He drummed his fingers against the edge of the table.

 **‘Lance, I’m so sorry that Keith had to put you through that.’** Shiro sighed from the other line **. ‘I promise he’s a good kid. He’s just… hard to control sometimes.’**

This time, it was Lance’s turn to fall into a mellow quiet. He parted his lips to say something but he quickly shut them before he just smiled and shrugged; “Yeah, he is.”

The sudden melancholy in Lance’s tone made Shiro concerned. **‘Did something happen, though?’**

“Nothing at all!”

Allura watched as the light in Lance’s eyes flickered for a bit and his fingers stopped drumming.

“He was actually cooperative.” Suddenly, Lance was back to his cheerful self. “He didn’t give us a hard time.”

 **‘Which reminds me,’** Shiro said. The background was a bit noisy on his end which meant that he was in a public place. **‘Could you give me Dr. Holt’s number later? I’d like to give him my thanks and apologies.’** A sigh. ‘ **I can’t believe this. I leave for 48 hours and Keith messes up this bad. I really am sorry for the trouble, Lance.’**

“I told you, Shiro, it’s totally cool!” Lance shrugged. Hell, Keith owes him big time for this one. “By the way, your couch was very comfy. Thanks for letting me stay over.”

Shiro chuckled. **‘You’re more than welcome to come join Keith and your mom when you’re free. Maybe Keith would actually feel more motivated if he had a classmate with him.’**

“I’ll think about it, Shiro.”

 **‘Which reminds me,’** the older man suddenly said. **‘Do you and Allura like to drink coffee?’**

Stiffening in her seat, Allura stared at Lance with a look of confusion in her eyes.

“Oh yeah, she _adooooores_ coffee.” Lance prolonged his tone in exaggeration, oblivious that Shiro was actually secretly soliciting information from him. “Me, not so much but mom’s like… _in love_ with.”

Shiro was quiet for a moment to soak that in but he spoke again before Lance could ask if he was still there. **‘Great. I got her a bag of freshly ground coffee.’**

Lance’s eyebrows shot up and so did Allura’s. Why would Shiro bother to get them something from his business trip? It was automatic setting for Allura to read a situation but she couldn’t help but feel happy that Shiro bothered to get that bag of ground coffee. Then again, she felt like she was intruding; Shiro was with someone else last night and they were even in the same bed together. If there’s anyone getting that coffee, it should be that woman, right?

 **‘The conference ended early so I’ll be back tonight.’** Shiro finally said. **‘I’m boarding my flight now so I’ve got to go.’**

“Sure thing, Shiro.” Lance smiled. “I’m sure mom would love that, so thanks.”

**‘I should be the one thanking her for letting me know and you for taking care of Keith, Lance.’**

The teen just nodded, unable to voice his words out. The memory of Keith almost kissing him played over and over again and each time it did, it sent blood rushing through Lance’s system like adrenaline.

“No problem-o! Have a safe trip!”

After the line went dead, Lance handed Allura’s phone back to her and she took it carefully, taking note of how warm it was from Lance’s grip. There was a moment of silence between them as they both absorbed their personal thoughts regarding the phone call.

“Well, that was kind of weird.” Lance finally broke the silence between them. Allura looked up from her half eaten meatloaf to give Lance her attention.

“Yes,” Allura agreed, taking a bite of her food. “Yes, it was.”

~///~///~///~

Shiro waited patiently for his flight to be announced and he pocketed his phone in his jeans. He didn’t expect Allura to call him last night and he felt awkward that she had to hear Shiro’s companion.

Valerie Smith was a model who was present during the conference to accompany her brother who was also an executive. A dinner conversation that got a little too intimate and a few drinks led to something else in Shiro's hotel room but it stayed casual with no strings attached whatsoever. She was a beautiful woman but the effect she had on Shiro only lasted for the night that when he woke up alone, he didn’t even mind.

Because he was interested in someone else back home.

Absentmindedly, Shiro pulled up the paper bag that rested on top of his trolley back and took out the bag of freshly ground coffee that he purposely got for Lance and Allura. But since Keith’s classmate isn’t really fond of coffee despite working as a barista, it all belonged to Allura now and secretly, Shiro was glad about it.

The morning sun made the metallic paper with the coffee’s brand, glint. Shiro studied it for a moment, his dark slanted eyes boring deep into the embossed letters.

So, Allura was in love with coffee, is she?

“It looks like I have some competition, then.” A small smile tugged on the corners of Shiro’s lips.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's never too late to change for the better, Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gather around, kiddies! It's time for some angst and some more revelation about Keith's and Shiro's pasts! *throws in the drama llama* 
> 
> Thank you once again for all the overwhelming reviews! I could fee all your love and support and it encourages me to write more of this story. I really enjoy talking to you through the comments and tumblr. Here is the 10th chapter! I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to let me know about your thoughts and I will all see you in Chapter 11!
> 
> Note: Part of this chapter is inspired by the fact that Steven Yeun and Jeremy Shada, Keith's and Lance's VAs respectively, are amazing singers. The song Keith is practicing is called Jersey by Make Out Monday, a band Lance's VA is part of.

Chapter 10

Still feeling like the grimes of last night’s party still clung onto his body, Keith took another shower that late afternoon. Steam poured out of the bathroom doorway when Keith stepped out before he threw on some fresh clothes.

He hasn’t been up long since he woke up a little bit after noon  and so far, it’s been a pretty uneventful day. Instead of ordering room service which Balmera Towers clearly has, Keith ate the omelet Lance made for him. At first, he was reluctant because of the fact that it was Lance who cooked this but after he took his first bite, he had to restrain himself from wolfing it all down because it was utterly delicious.

This was the first time Keith has ever tasted Lance’s cooking and even if he wouldn’t admit it, he really liked the food Lance made.

 Keith ate while he strummed the strings on his guitar, his eyes reading the PDF of chords for a song on his iPad. He really didn’t look like it, but Keith enjoyed playing music as much as he enjoyed listening to it. The guitar was actually very close to Keith because it helped him cope from the traumatic experience he went through when he was eight.

Keith figured out that he should work on learning this particular song to get his head out of his ass. His brain still felt like static and he didn’t like it one bit. He also wanted to keep himself occupied to avoid giving in to the small nagging voice at the back of his head telling him to call up Lance because he still hasn’t worked up the courage to.

_“Would you welcome me Jersey if I wound up cold at your door…”_

He sang as his fingers strummed back and forth on the neck of the guitar, pressing the chords. He was about to play the whole song again to polish it when the sound of the front door opening and closing slipped past his bedroom door.

“Keith?”

Shit. Shiro’s home a day early and Keith was about to get the scolding of the year. And since what Keith did was the Mother Of All Offenses, Shiro was probably going to ground him for the whole year or he could kiss his Ducati good bye. It was either one of those and both of them sucked.

“Keith!” Shiro called again from downstairs and Keith sighed as he set aside his acoustic guitar.

“Yeah, hold on, I’m not exactly functioning well!” Keith called back and hauled himself up. Truth be told, Shiro was a really nice guy which meant all the withheld fury is kind of scary when released. Now he wished he called up Lance to call him a four-eyed jackass one last time before Keith left this world because Shiro was going to hang him upside down for fucking up last night.

He padded down stairs on bare feet and sure enough, Shiro was leaning against the island counter by the small of his back. His arms were crossed over his chest and his sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, revealing half of the intricate and colorful tattoo sleeve on his right arm.

His sharp dark eyes bore deep into Keith’s violet ones before the teen tore his gaze away and glared at the other side of the living room.

“You have five minutes to explain.” Shiro began after he heaved a heavy sigh. Keith on the other hand, glared at the floor now. He can’t help but feel shame inside because no matter where one would look at the situation, it really was Keith’s fault.

“Rolo Marquis threw a party,” The teen muttered. “I got an invitation and I came. That’s it.”

“ _’That’s it.’_?” Shiro repeated and raised a questioning brow at Keith. “That’s all you’re going to say? Because I’m pretty sure that I got a call from Allura at 3 AM in Toronto about your classmates finding you passed out in the park drunk, Keith. _Drunk._ ”  He placed impact on the word.

Uncrossing his arms Shiro took a step closer and planted one hand on his hip sternly. He towered over Keith and the natural intimidating aura he had was in the works but Keith was too stubborn to give in.

“I know.” Keith talked back, steeling himself and this kind of attitude of his grated on Shiro’s nerves.

“You could’ve gotten hurt, Keith! What if you were mugged, huh? What if a car hit you?” Shiro said, exasperated. “In addition to that, you troubled other people; you had Pidge and Dr. Holt drive your drunk ass back home. You were so wasted that Lance had to stay here for the night so he can take care of you!”

That latter part made Keith’s blood drain from his face before it bubbled into a heat which burst, making his heart pound loudly in his ears.

So does that mean that--?

Holy shit, maybe he really did kiss Lance.

Keith had to fight tooth and nail to reign in the urge to reach up and unconsciously touch his lips which throbbed at the memory of Lance’s warm skin against them.

“Look, Shiro, I can take care of myself.” Keith’s voice shook angrily. God, he hated it whenever he was wrong, but he was losing this argument. “I just needed to let the buzz die down and I’ll be on the way home.”

“Don’t even give me that, Keith.” The older man shook his head and the stern look Shiro had in his dark, slanted eyes told Keith that there was no point in arguing back because it was over.

“Yes, for the sake of the damn conversation, you can take care of yourself.” He paused and cocked his head slightly to the side. His scowl was deep and the look of disappointment he had made Keith feel like he wanted to shrink. “But you’re _still_ a minor, Keith.”

“I know!” Keith snapped back. “Don’t worry, I won’t bother you for long. Your responsibility for me ends when I turn legal next year!” Keith could feel his temper breaking off the leash and his voice shook with it.

“Why did you do that, Keith?” Shiro’s voice suddenly lowered. “Tell me a good reason why you did that and if I’m convinced, I’ll let you off the hook.”

“And if I don’t?” Keith pushed on in challenge.

“Then you can kiss your Ducati good bye and our deal about the Ferrari is void.” Shiro replied with finality and Keith cursed a blue streak under his breath, his eyes narrowing in a glare. If the deal was off, then there was no point in being tutored by Allura.

And if that was called off, Lance would be disappointed that his mom lost her job and it’ll be all Keith’s fault. He believed that he won’t be able to stomach the fact that he would be the cause of that kind of trouble for Lance.

“I…” The teen began but he didn’t know how to continue. The more Keith thought about what he wanted to say, the more his anger mellowed until it became a faint, almost dying ember.

 “I just wanted to hang out with some friends, is that so bad?!” Keith ended yelling out the outburst of emotion. “You don’t have to be so hung up on this, Shiro. It’s not your life, it’s mine!”

That outburst in return, made Shiro’s composure waver. The thing about Shiro is that he rarely raised his voice but the things he says are bullets through the heart. The moment raises his voice and yells back is when the fight has escalated past the point of no return.

“What would your parents say?”

“I don’t know, Shiro,” Keith snapped back with venom in his voice. “They’re _dead_!”

“Stop trying to throw your life away because your parents gave up theirs just to save yours.” Shiro was calm but his glare was intense.

Keith stilled and stared wide eyed at Shiro. He didn’t know what to say because it was the first time Shiro said that to him. After a moment of tensed silence between them, Shiro’s gaze softened and he sighed.

However, he will not apologize for that reprimand because it was true; Keith was letting himself get towed with the wrong crowd. Shiro had seen enough youths who lost their way because of the wrong people during his days in the force;

Getting arrested from fights, getting into car accidents due to driving under the influence, shoot outs, etcetera. Name it, Shiro had most likely seen it.

“Wisely pick the people you surround yourself with, Keith. A few good people are better than a bad crowd.” He said. “If you’ll look hard enough, there are actually people who care about you.”

But Keith’s reply was a cold and heavy silence because the card Shiro pulled about his parents had gotten deep into him and had sent him into an inner turmoil. So what he did was that he turned around and headed straight for the door where he grabbed an old pair of chucks from the shoe shelf and his red and black hoodie jacket that hung at the back of a chair.

“Where are you going?” Shiro asked, his tone firm.

“Out.” Was all Keith said before he walked out, slamming the door behind him which made the black vase tremble where it sat on its mahogany podium.

Left alone in the penthouse, Shiro took a few deep breaths before he walked to his liquor cabinet where he retrieved a glass and ice from a dispenser and he poured himself some whiskey. Taking a drink, he closed his eyes to savor the warm burn as the amber liquid made its way down his throat.

Slowly, Shiro opened his dark eyes and placed the glass down on the marble counter where he braced himself. He started at the small amount of whiskey that remained in the glass and thought about Keith’s well-being. Shiro wished that Keith wasn’t so afraid to form attachments but who could blame him? He had been through a lot as a child and Keith had this constant fear that he would lose the people he ended up loving just like how he lost his parents.

Keith had rejected the idea of being adopted by Shiro so they ended up with the arrangement that Shiro will be a legal guardian until Keith turned eighteen just so they could avoid the possibility of him being passed around in foster homes.

“Hyuna,” He whispered. “Just what am going to do with your son?”

Shiro tried to remember the beautiful, raven haired woman who held his heart once upon a time but ended up choosing his best friend and Keith’s father, Lucas, instead.

But when Shiro tried to stir his memory for those violet eyes that matched Keith’s, all he saw were a pair of blue-lilac ones.

~///~///~///~

Keith didn’t know or care where he went; he just let his feet take him wherever the fuck they wanted. The sky had started to turn into a watercolor of colors as the sun began to set over the city horizon and there weren’t many people on the street that Sunday afternoon.

He allowed himself to be absorbed in his thoughts and truth be told, he desperately wanted to mask the sadness with being angry because Shiro was right.

Keith just wanted to feel like he actually belonged somewhere, that was why he did that. He wanted to make friends but it appeared that he went overboard and ended up bothering a lot of people. Keith sighed and glared at his worn out chucks. Despite Rolo and his clique tagging him along, they were NOT good people to be around with and the fact that they let him walk home drunk, much less end up passed out in the park, sealed that. Maybe it was even funny for them that Keith made an ass of himself before they moved on and didn’t even notice that he was gone.

It appeared that even non-scholars get picked on at Altea.

“Keith?” a soft feminine voice pulled Keith out of his troubled thoughts. He looked up and his violet eyes locked with bright, topaz ones. Shay Denvers was sitting on an outdoor café table with one of those big umbrellas attached to it with a venti iced frappe in the grasp of her laced fingers. Her senior boyfriend, Hunk Garrett, was with her with a plate of a half-eaten pecan pie slice and a venti fruit tea.

When Keith looked around, he saw that he managed to wander to the Coffee Nook Café and he wanted to punch himself for it because he wasn’t quite ready to face Lance again after what just happened last night.

“’Sup, guys.” Keith quickly raised a hand in greeting before letting it drop idly to his side. His eyes nervously darted around, looking for a familiar tanned skinned, blue eyed, bespectacled teen.

“Lance is off on weekends if you came for him.” Hunk’s intuition was on the spot and Keith looked away and pretended to be interested at the bush by the table.

“Oh, nah, I-I’m just out for a walk.” He threw the excuse in the air but now at least he knew that the weekend were Lance’s days off. “I didn’t mean to end up here.”

 “We heard what happened.” Hunk paused when Keith sighed but then he said; “Are you okay?”

That question caught Keith off guard and he turned back to look at the couple. “Huh?”

“Are you alright?” Shay repeated the question with some slight alteration to the words. “We heard that you were pretty intoxicated last night and that Lance couldn’t find it in him to just leave you on your own at your residence.”

Because of her love for reading and desire to be an author someday, Shay tend to use colorful words and Keith thought that she could have said; ‘You were so wasted last that Lance had to crash at your place so he can make sure that you don’t choke on your own vomit and die.’

“I’m…okay now.” Keith managed to force out a reply and with that, Shay beamed brightly at him.

“Oh, thank goodness!” she turned to Hunk. “Rolo and Nyma sure are bad company, huh? They didn’t even have the decency to have someone take Keith home.”

“Don’t even get me started on them.” Hunk grimaced. “I mean, you should see how they are in class; they’re disrespectful and act like they own the place.” His broad shoulders rolled when he shrugged. “I know Rolo’s uncle is one of the members of the school board but hell, that guy’s such a douche bag.”

“I would have to agree with that.” Shay replied but when she glanced at Keith who was just standing there, she looked at Hunk who smiled at her, seeming to read her thoughts.

Despite the year difference, Hunk and Shay made a good couple and a near unbreakable duo. They’re not flashy like how most couples are in school; they didn’t want attention and they kept a low profile.

“Dude, what are you doing just standing there?” Hunk asked and motioned at the extra chair at their table. “Come sit with us.”

Keith blinked and stared as if Hunk just grew a tail. But aren’t these two on a date? He didn’t want to go in and ruin that, he was just walking around to get some air and cool off from the argument with Shiro.

“I don’t really want to be a third wheel, guys.” Keith replied. “It’s weird to sit with you when you two are on a date.”

Shay and Hunk looked at each other… and burst into laughter.

“Aw, man, that’s rich.” The senior’s laugh boomed out. “Nah, it’s okay. Shay and I really don’t mind, we do want to try hanging out with you.”

“Indeed.” Shay’s giggles were softer compared to Hunk’s hearty laughter. “Lance’s friends are our friends and aren’t you Ms. Allura’s student?” she took a moment to study Keith and saw that there were dark circles around his eyes and he still looked groggy. “I know, why not let us treat you to some coffee? It’s a good way to relax after such a night as yours and it’s good for the heart.”

“Baaabe,” Hunk half whined and glanced at Keith who looked completely lost from the hospitality he got. “You just can’t go around offering coffee to people. What if Keith doesn’t like coffee?” he paused and looked proud when he asked; “What if he was a tea person?”

“Your fruit teas are boring.” Shay pouted and the two got into a small argument before Shay pointed at Keith and demanded; “TEA OR COFFEE?”

“Uh…” Being alone most of the time, Keith had no formal training of any kind with this kind of social situation. The last time he tried to get along with people, he ended up passed out drunk in the park. “…Water?”

“Laaaaame.” Hunk teased. “Come on, Keith. You can do better than that, man.”

“Coffee, I guess.” Keith shrugged and Shay jumped from her seat. “HA. In your face, Hunkybear! Keith’s on my side.” She took out her loyalty card from her pocket and waved it around. “We’ll use my card this time. What would you like, Keith?”

This was really awkward but…quite enjoyable because Keith actually felt welcomed here. “An iced macchiato and a red velvet cupcake?” it was more of a question rather than an answer when he repeated the order he had when he last went here.

“Come sit and relax some.” Shay motioned at the empty seat beside her boyfriend. “Tomorrow’s Monday and well, you know Mondays, we all hate it.” Then she walked back inside the café to get Keith his drink.

Without a word, Keith took the seat beside Hunk and stared awkwardly at the bush again on the other side of the table like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Hey, Keith,” Hunk began and the raven haired teen turned to look at him. “I know this is pretty awkward for you, but I hope you don’t mind giving this one to Shay. She loves being surrounded by people.”

“Do you mind that I’m here?” Keith asked this time. He was aware that he wasn’t the most approachable person in Altea. Besides, he put Lance under a troublesome situation because of his selfish actions last night in addition to always going neck on neck with him at school.

“Not at all.” Hunk shrugged and took a long sip from his drink. There was an awkward silence between them until Keith started to idly fiddle with his fingers and that was where Hunk noticed the calloused fingertips of Keith’s left hand.

“So, you play the guitar, huh?” Hunk asked and Keith turned to look at him.

“Yeah.”

When Shay got back after she got Keith’s drink, she returned to the sight of Keith and Hunk having a merry conversation. Hunk was laughing while Keith was grinning and it really looked like they got along as they went from talking about music, to games, to basically the jerks around school. Right now, Hunk was telling Keith about Lance’s hilarious antics and he appeared to be enjoying it.

“Here you go.” Shay smiled and handed Keith the macchiato and the saucer with the cupcake which he took gratefully.

“Thanks, Shay.” He nodded and the younger girl took her original seat beside Hunk. Shay then studied the stamps on her loyalty card before humming contently.

“How many more stamps before you can get the secret menu, babe?” Hunk asked as he looked over and Keith turned his attention to her as well.

“Just seven more and I can get Lance’s special coffee.” She replied. Keith then raised a brow at her and lowered the straw he was sipping on.

“What secret menu?” he asked.

“For every single transaction, you get a stamp on your card and if you manage to collect ten,” Shay explained. “You can avail the secret menu.”

“Every year,” Hunk followed. “The baristas here create an original drink that can only be availed if you have completed all ten stamps. This year, Lance’s recipe got in the secret menu list so I guess it’s that good to be chosen by the manager.”

“He worked hard on it last quarter and he was so happy when his recipe got in.” Shay then kept that card in her cute purse that looked like a smiling asteroid character.

“So Pidge, Hunk, and I decided to choose Lance’s secret menu when we’re done with our cards.”

Keith fell into an odd quiet and then remembered that he found an empty Coffee Nook card on the floor when he woke up earlier that day. He then took it out from his back pocket and stared at the empty squares where the stamps are supposed to go.

“Well, would you look at that,” Hunk said after he finished the rest of his pecan pie. “Only chosen customers are given the cards this early in the week. How did you get one?”

For a moment there, Shiro’s words echoed in the back of Keith’s mind;

_‘If you’ll look hard enough, there are actually people who care about you.’_

“From a jackass.” Keith replied, his violet eyes softening.

Hunk and Shay then secretly exchanged sly smiles.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Cause we've no time for getting old  
> Mortal bodies, timeless souls  
> Cross your fingers, here we go  
> Oh, oh, oh
> 
> -Youth, Troye Sivan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll just love Keith hanging out with the HunkShay ship and it does my heart good to know that! This chapter has to be my favorite so far and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Thank you for all the love the support! And guess what? I have two beautiful space babs who doodled fanart for Taking Chances! It's on my tumblr, so check it out when you're free!
> 
> Author's Note: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, copy Lance and Keith in this chapter unless you want the disappointedparetnts.jpg from Shiro and Allura. 
> 
> This will be the last update for a bit. I'm taking a break so I can catch up with life, burn Borgia towers in AC:B, and work on the future chapters for the story. Thanks! <3

Chapter 11

The morning after, Shiro got out of bed and stretched his stiff muscles. The first thing he did was get his phone from the speaker where it was docked on his night stand and was charging overnight so he can check his schedule for the day. Even if his secretary, Chloe, handled most of those, she can still get quite unreliable at times and there was also the matter about her unprofessional behavior.

Yawning, Shiro scrolled through the notifications. He saw that it’s not a very jam packed day and he can come home early in the afternoon if no impromptu meetings pop out of God knows where.

Pulling a white shirt on, Shiro left the master’s bedroom and padded down the hallway. It was quiet; no blue streaked curses or slamming doors which meant Keith probably already left for school and when Shiro checked the time, he saw that it was already 8:15. He had fallen asleep due to the exhaustion from the business trip and crashed into bed after he took a shower to clear his mind from the tension of his argument with Keith.

Barefoot, he walked to the kitchen to make himself a steaming mug of black coffee to jolt his system awake and take some time to cook breakfast. He placed his phone by the island counter and turned on the fancy coffee maker that looked like it came from the year 2045.

Heading to the fridge, Shiro opened one of the double doors to retrieve some eggs but instead, what greeted him was a small to-go box that bore the embossed logo of the Coffee Nook. On the top of the box was a sticky note with Keith’s handwriting;

**_‘You’re right, so I’m sorry. Knock yourself out.’_ **

Shiro carefully took the box and he smiled after he opened it to look at Keith’s little peace offering;

It was a slice of blueberry cheese cake.

Shiro smiled; Keith may be a handful, but the guy had a soft spot in him that he rarely shows. However, he remembered something. He was supposed to ask Keith to give the bag of coffee to Lance so he can give it to Allura. He ran a hand down his face and remembered the awkward situation he had accidentally placed Allura in. Yeah, he really needed to apologize about that after he personally hands her his little present.

But how?

~///~///~///~

“No, no, nooo….!” Lance pushed his skateboard as hard as he can as he shredded down the sidewalk towards Altea. Just his luck, he forgot to set his alarm the night before and when his mother had woken him that morning, it was already quarter to eight. The roads were jammed with the morning traffic rush so there was no point in taking the bus. Lance had no choice but go on his trusty skateboard which he had to push to the limit out of desperation of not having Altea’s gates slam on his face.

Unfortunately, he was too late because the moment that was got to the school grounds, the tall, automatic gates closed shut. Lance stood outside, looking absolutely terrified that he was locked out and from inside, he heard the bell that signaled the start of class.

This is the first time in history that he, Lance Calhoun, scholar and Everybody’s Man, came in so late that not only did it put a stain on his attendance record, he was locked out.

“Shit, this can’t be happening.” Lance groaned and thumped his forehead against the cold metal bar of the gate. “No. No. No. No…”

“Well would you look at that,” A familiar voice interrupted which sent Lance’s heart slamming against his ribs. “The Great Lance Calhoun, tardy and locked out.”

Keith stood behind him, having just arrived as well with his bag pack idly slung over one shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Lance half demanded and pointed at the raven haired teen.

“I’m late, obviosuly.” Keith replied with a raised brow but he didn’t look bothered at all. It took everything Lance had to lock away the images that threatened to flash before his eyes about the past weekend. He studied Keith for a moment and scowled, hell, Lance didn’t even get a call from him. Not even a single thank you.

And that almost-kiss…

Lance shook his head stubbornly to clear his head and narrowed his eyes at Keith. “How can you be okay with this, Keith? We’re locked out! If we go in there, we’ll get detention! We’re--- We’re---!”

“Would you relax?” Keith sighed at Lance’s panic. Obviously, this wasn’t the first time this happened to Keith and he had his ways to mend the situation.

“H-HOW CAN I REL---Mmmhppph!” Lance’s eyes widened when Keith suddenly rushed towards him and clamped his hand over Lance’s mouth.

“Would you keep it the fuck down?” Keith hissed, his face inches from Lance and he glared. “You’re making a goddamn scene!”

Just then, a mother and her daughter who looked about six, passed by and stared at them while they did.

“Mommy, what are they doing?” the child tugged on her mother’s hand as she pointed her tiny finger towards Keith and Lance.

“Well, sweetheart.” The mother smiled. “They’re obviously having an LQ.”

“What’s that?”

“Lover’s quarrel, dear.” The woman replied. “You’ll understand when you’re a big girl. Until then, no being lovey dovey with boys or girls yet, okay?”

The little girl beamed and giggled. “Okay!”

Keith and Lance gaped at the mother and child as they walked away before Lance tore Keith’s hand from his mouth.

“W-Wait, we’re not…!” Keith started to protest with his face red in fluster but Lance snapped at him.

“Dude, what the hell was that?!” Lance demanded.

“I’m keeping your pie hole shut because you’re too loud!” Keith argued back. Then he sighed; “Just listen to me; there’s no way we can sneak in right now because we’ll get caught.” Keith leaned against a lamppost that was by the gate, his hands in his uniform pockets. “Coran already said that he’ll give me detention if I come in late in his class and the next two teachers for the morning classes will be suspicious as to why we just came in.”

Now that Lance thought about it, Keith was right. They were a block section and they conducted all classes in one classroom. If they just popped in during the next two classes, they’ll get questioned.

“We’ll sneak back in during break period so no suspects a thing.” Keith finally concluded. “I know a passage at the back.”

The look on Lance’s face was pure disbelief. “Why the fuck are you so confident about this? Won’t our classmates notice?”

“Psh, they don’t care. Your friends, most likely, but the rest won’t know the difference.” the raven haired teen scoffed and he rolled his violet eyes. “I’ve been doing this since freshman year, Lance. I’ve memorized every goddamn trick in the book.”

_Lance._

Lance, not ‘Nerd’, and he’s sober.

Tearing those blue eyes away, Lance stared at the manicured Bermuda grass at the edge of the cobblestone path that led to the gate.

“Alright, fine.” Lance sighed and picked up his skateboard to carry it on his side. “So basically, we’re free until we sneak back in at noon. What are we supposed to do?”

This time, it was Keith who fell into silence as he thought. This was it, this was his chance to get Lance alone so he can properly apologize for being an irresponsible asswipe last weekend. Honestly, Keith felt nervous inside but he didn’t want it to suck for the both of them.

Wracking his head for ideas, he suddenly remembered what Allura told him;

_“Lance adores the ocean.”_

Bingo!

“Take off your jacket and your tie.” Keith said as he placed his bag on the ground and started to strip his dark navy blue uniform jacket that had Altea’s insignia sewn on the breast pocket. The tie would also give them away since the style was unique and exclusive for Altean students only.

They can’t risk being seen where students are not supposed to be seen during school hours or else they’ll be reported to the school and it will be a double offense for bearing the school’s insignia while cutting classes.

Not knowing what else to do, Lance followed Keith’s instruction and removed his own uniform jacket and his violet necktie only leaving the thin material of his hoodie vest over his long sleeved polo shirt.

After they stuffed their clothes in their bags, Lance’s heart slammed against his chest when Keith grabbed Lance by the wrist and proceeded to drag him away from the school.

“Come on.”

“Wait, man, where are you going?” Lance asked. He couldn’t help but feel the guilt that started to eat him up inside. Cutting classes was wrong. Sneaking back in was wrong.

And yet, here he was, being dragged by Keith to wherever the hell they were going to pass the time.

“Just shut up and you’ll see.” Keith’s words weren’t exactly nice but there was a playful smile on his lips. Lance rarely sees Keith smile no matter how small. As a matter of fact, this was the first time he’s seen Keith smile at all and hell, it looked good on him as his eyes lit up like polished amethysts.

“Hurry, the prefects will make their rounds soon.”

Holding back his words, Lance didn’t say anything more as he stared at his wrist which Keith held on to .

“Just this once, okay?” For once in his life, Lance decided that he should drop the scholar act and see the world in Keith’s perspective.

“Okay.” Keith grinned and quickened his pace while Lance jogged up behind him as they made their little escape.

~

Moments later, Keith found himself sitting beside Lance in the train as they took the route that led to the outskirts of the city. There was an awkward silence between them; Keith fiddled with the zipper of his bag pack that he cradled while Lance idly watched the passing scenery outside while his fingers absentmindedly spun one of the wheels of his skateboard.

“My mom will kill me.” Lance suddenly broke the silence and Keith noticed a shudder that shook the other teen’s shoulders. “She’ll make Lance Pot Pie then serve it at her Weekend Book Club meeting.”

“I wouldn’t eat it.” Keith’s tone held its usual boredom. “I might get food poisoning.”

“Well, excuuuuuuse me!” Lance gasped. “I think I’d make a good pie.” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the sunlight glinting off the lenses and he grinned. “I think someone as good looking as me will be a delicacy!”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Keep talking, nerd.”

“That insult is not going to work, Keith.” Lance scoffed. “You already called me by my first name. I win.”

“I don’t remember this being a competition.”

Lance blinked from behind his glasses before he narrowed his pretty blues at Keith; “Still, you finally called me by my amazing name and your ‘nerd’ bullcrap is null and void.”

“Oh, yeah?” Keith challenged. “When did I ever call you by your name, hm?”

“Uh, like, I don’t know…” Lance innocently tapped his lower lip as he mocked into thinking into it. Keith, on the other hand, secretly found it adorable. “Like, twenty minutes ago and the first time was when Pidge and Dr. Holt found you in the park.”

With that, Keith grew deathly quiet before he tore his eyes away and focused on the passing view on the other side of the train window. From the buildings of the city, the scenery had already shifted to the peaceful suburbs.

“About that,” Keith said after he gathered all the courage he had before he chickened out and hid behind his asshole mask in defense. “Thank you.”

Lance couldn’t believe what he was hearing and to make things more unbelievable, Keith actually sounded sincere about it. He, too, lowered his gaze and stared at the back of his skateboard while he recalled at the events of the past weekend.

“I’m sorry for putting you through that.” Keith continued and his voice sounded tight as if he was forcing the words out. It appeared that Keith wasn’t really the type to apologize but he sounded pretty sincere.

“Hey, Keith?” Lance asked this time, his blue eyes flickering up from gazing at his skateboard and for a moment, he felt his nerves tingle when his eyes locked with Keith’s violet ones.

“Yeah?”

“How much do you remember?”

Keith knew what Lance was talking about and he felt the blood rise to his face.

“Everything.” He muttered. What Shiro told him confirmed the blurry images in his mind about the things he did.

“Oh.” Lance sunk back into his seat before he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. So that meant that Keith remembered what happened in his room. Lance bit his lower lip and racked his head for something sassy to counter how flustered he was and he ended up saying;

“Well, your aim was shit!”

Keith stared with wide eyes and Lance stared back before he realized the words he just vomited.

“No, wait!” Lance shot defensively. “I-I meant… It’s not what you think… I was trying to say…”

“That you’re insulting my blind drunk aim because I passed out before I was able to kiss you?” Keith quirked a dark brow at Lance, finishing the sentence.

“You wish!”

“Yeah, well…” Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance, his cheeks gaining a slight pink tint. “I’m glad I missed! I wouldn’t want to kiss you anyway!”

“Right back at you!” Lance shot.

“Oh, yeah?!” Keith challenged.

“Yeah!”

“SSSHHH!” An old man from the next seat turned to them and hissed. There were barely any passengers this late in the morning because the rush hour was over. The old man stared at Keith and Lance with his beady gray eyes behind his thick horn rimmed glasses and when the two youngsters shrunk back into their seats, he went back to reading his newspaper.

There was silence between Lance and Keith during the rest of trip. In those quiet moments, Keith secretly felt disappointed at himself that his aim did miss.

It was a short ride out into the outskirts which raised the chances of the two of them getting back to Altea just in time for break time. When Lance’s phone vibrated in his pocket, he took it out and swiped to view the message;

**From Pidgeotto (Mon, 9:00 AM):**

  1. **CORAN GAVE A QUIZ AND YOU BETTER BE SICK OR DEAD TO MISS IT. And why are you absent along with Keith?**



“Shit.” Lance hissed and thumped his head back against the glass of the window. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

“What?” Keith frowned when he returned his attention to Lance from watching the scenery.

“Coran gave a test.” Lance groaned. “And we missed it.”

“So?”

“Oh my god, Keith.” Lance whined, exasperated. “Our grades!”

“God, Lance.” Sighing, he looked directly at Lance and his piercing violet eyes bore through Lance’s blue ones. “Would you chill? I’ll find a way to raise my grades but you don’t have anything to worry about.” Suddenly, Keith paused and looked away, not being able to withstand those blue pools anymore.

“You’ll be fine, okay? You’re the smartest guy I know.”

That little comment was so unexpected coming from someone cold like Keith that Lance was taken back by surprise.

“Wow, Keith…” Lance could feel his cheeks burn. Was he dreaming? Did Keith just compliment him? “Thanks, man.” He lifted his phone to distract himself from the butterflies he felt. “I need to tell Pidge what’s going on. We’ll need all the help we’ll get.”

**To Pidgeotto (Mon, 9:03 AM):**

**Will be back @ break time. Keith’s with me. Could you cover for us ‘til then pls?**

**From Pidgeotto (Mon, 9:05 AM):**

**JFC LANCE. You better explain later. K then. Use protection! <3**

 

Heat exploded on Lance’s face and his phone shook in his grip. That makes two; man, he is really going to get back at Pidge for this. He fought back the urge to whine like a dying whale in fear that the old man that sat near them will scold them again.

“Hey, Lance?” Keith interrupted the panicking emotions mixed with the desire to pull on Pidge’s button nose. “Look.”

When Lance looked up from his phone and out the window where Keith gestured him to, there was a look of confusion in his eyes.

“What? They’re just trees---“ There were no more words when the line of trees disappeared to reveal the glittering blue vastness of the ocean. Lance’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open while his glasses slightly slid down the bridge of nose. The ocean was so blue under the late morning sun and the waves painted streaks of white where they hit the colorful pebbled shore. Seagulls glided along the cliffs and the yachts and cargo boats were dots in the distance.

Keith however, didn’t stare at the ocean, but at Lance.

The way those blue eyes lit up against the dark tan of his skin, his lips parted in awe while a small smile pulled at the corners; he looked so happy and Keith felt so damn proud that someone like him actually made someone, Lance of all people, smile.

“Keith…” Was all Lance could say. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Your mom told me that you loved the ocean.” Keith shrugged and he kept his cool as he too, stared at the vast blueness that stretched to the horizon as the train sped by. “So, like, why the fuck not, right? Might as well show you a good time.”

“Can’t blame you.” Lance grinned at him. “I am quite irresistible.”

“Don’t push your luck, nerd.” Keith frowned but it was as if Lance didn’t hear him because the moment that the train slowed down to their designated stop, Lance quickly grabbed Keith by the hand and dragged him to the door. “Wait, slow down, Lance!”

~

Lance inhaled the crisp sea breeze that ruffled his dark brown hair while Keith stood beside him on the old bay walk platform at the edge of the rocky beach. This place used to be a pier that received cargo from the coalition of trading ports from other states before the local environmentalist groups shut it down due to the pollution it caused. Now, the beach pretty much healed itself over the years.

“Man, I haven’t seen the ocean in a while!” Lance hollered over the wind that danced over the waves. “Woooh!”

“Honestly, I don’t know what we’re going to do here.” Keith looked at him from where he stood. He trailed his eyes up slightly because even if they were almost the same height, Lance was an inch taller.

“That’s okay,” Lance said as he started down the wooden platform that was attached beside a cliff wall. “What matters is that we have fun.”

The two of them walked in comfortable silence, their footsteps creaking against the worn wood until they reached the bottom and their heels drug through the colorful pebbles. Keith found a shady spot by a large boulder where they placed down their belongings. The beach was empty except for some small shops at the street after climbing back up the platform.

Without wasting time, Lance kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks to set them by his bag. He sighed as he dug his toes into the cool pebbles of the beach before he started to roll up the cuffs of his pants until he can’t anymore and they ended by the bottom of his knees. After that, he removed his glasses and put it in his bag

“What are you doing?” Keith asked as he sat down beside Lance under the shadow of the large boulder that was once part of the ocean.

“Taking off my shoes so they don’t get wet, duh.” Lance rolled his eyes and nudged Keith’s knee. “You too, shoes off.”

“Uh, I’m not really---“

“Come oooon!” Lance whined like a little kid but the light in his eyes told Keith of how happy this four eyed jackass was right now. “What’s the point of coming here if we can’t get a little wet?”

Keith sighed and pulled off his school shoes and socks. He rolled up the cuffs of his pants and his long sleeves as well. He followed Lance who half jogged on bare feet to the spot where the waves kissed the rocky shore. Lance bent down and let the gentle water lap at his hands and feet while he wiggled his fingers along the water.

“The tide’s low,” he said to Keith. “Too bad we didn’t bring extra clothes, it would have been awesome to take a dip.”

“I didn’t expect to end up here anyway.” Keith stepped closed to the water and it felt nice when the water lapped at his feet too before they rolled back. His skin was so pale and it lacked sun that Keith looked like a porcelain doll under the glare of the morning sun. “It just came up.”

“I’m glad we ended up here.” Lance admitted. “It’s nice to get away from school even for just a little while.”

“Yeah, you work too hard. Learn to chill once in a while.” Keith joined Lance and crouched by the water beside him too.

“Says someone who basically has no chill.” Lance teased. Keith may be the quiet and cold, but Lance had seen him get into fights with other students during their earlier years in Altea. Despite mellowing down, Keith’s kept the reputation and it drove the good people away and attracted the bad ones like Rolo Marquis and Nyma Petrov.

“Hey, I am _so_ chill!” Keith argued but Lance responded by flinging sea water at Keith’s face. “What the fuck, you jackass!”

But Lance just laughed heartily and flung more water at Keith’s face when the waves rolled in. The huge droplets landed on Keith’s face with some clinging on his mullet.

“Oh, yeah?” Keith grinned. “Two can play at that game.” He cupped his hands together and when the water rolled back in, he splashed what he collected.

“Aw, dude, no fair!” Lance protested and spat the salt water that got into his mouth. His soaked bangs clung onto his forehead and the excess droplets rolled down the skin of his throat before they disappeared into the unbuttoned collar of his shirt.

It made Keith’s throat go dry but he was pulled out of the trance when Lance flung A LOT of water at his face, copying Keith’s earlier antic of cupping water into his hands.

“Hey!” Keith snapped but Lance jumped up to his feet and bolted off. “Get back here, Lance!”

Keith shot off too and chased after Lance across the beach. “I said, get the fuck back here, shitty glasses!”

“Joke’s on your mullet, Keith!” Lance called back over his shoulder as he ran away from Keith. “I’m not wearing them!”

“I’ll kick your ass!” Keith yelled over the loud wind and waves. “Get over here!”

“Sorry, what?” Lance mocked. “I can’t hear you from way over there. Why not blame your short legs?”

“The fuck did you say?” Keith was laughing now. He noticed that Lance was starting to tire out and it was too bad for him because Keith was just getting warmed up. As soon as he spotted a bunch of kelp washed ashore, he grabbed it and went on full speed towards Lance. The moment that he caught up, he grabbed the back of Lance’s collar and shoved the kelp down his shirt and into his back.

“Keith!” Lance shrieked. “What the fucking hell was that? Get it off! Get it off! It’s slimy and cold, holy shit, holy shit!” Keith laughed like a madman while Lance scrambled to get the kelp off his back.

When he pulled it out, he stared at it, horrified, before he chucked it at Keith’s face who was able to dodge it with ease. “You motherfucker! That felt gross!”

But Keith just kept on laughing and Lance watched. Like that smile earlier, this was also the first time he saw the raven haired teen laugh and like, really, _really_ laugh. The sound was so new to Lance but it was filled with happiness and heart. It actually suited Keith more than his usual brooding mood with the raincloud that sat on top of his head all the time. Keith’s laugh was actually so contagious that Lance found himself laughing along.

“Come on.” Keith wiped the tears at the corners of his eyes. “I’ll treat you to some ice cream.”

~

The two of them sat beside each other in the shade of the large boulder as they watched the ocean. They had put their shoes back on and they were currently eating the ice cone that Keith bought from a parlor not far from the top of the board walk; Keith’s ice cream was a dark pink raspberry while Lance’s was blue bubblegum.

“What time is it?” Lance suddenly asked and Keith tapped on his phone which he pulled out from his pocket.

“10:34 AM.” Was Keith’s reply and he noticed that Lance’s eyes fell, a shadow flickering along the blue of his irises before it disappeared. “What’s wrong?”

“We have to go back soon.”

The cold reality was ice over Keith’s chest. “Break period lasts for two hours. We’ll only need ten minutes to sneak back.”

Lance stared at the frozen dark pink dairy in the cone in his grasp. “I wish we didn’t have to go back so soon.” He didn’t really want to leave so soon because he was just starting to have fun with Keith. Lance was reluctant to let the peace between him and Keith.

“We can always come back.” Keith leaned against the rock. He paused and studied Lance for a moment before he stared up at the blue sky where some seagulls were gliding along the wind. He then admitted; “I really had fun. I don’t remember the last time I did.”

Looking at the guy beside him, Lance saw the familiarity of that moment when Keith first came to the Coffee Nook to seek shelter from the rain. But this time, instead of the gray sky, Keith stared at the fluffy white clouds and he clear blueness of the sky. Instead of a cigarette, he ate an ice cream cone, and instead looking gloomy, his violet eyes were bright amethysts.

“Hey, Keith?” Lance began as he licked the edge of his cone to prevent the ice cream from dripping.

“Yeah?”

“You owe me.” Lance’s eyes squinted behind his glasses as he focused on the frozen treat on his hand.

“For?” Keith’s own eyes narrowed.

“Taking care of your drunk ass.”

Keith frowned and he lowered the ice cream from his mouth. “I already said I was sorry and I thanked you, didn’t I?”

“I know.” Lance nodded stubbornly. “But you owe me a favor. You have to repay it.”

“Fine.” Keith huffed. “How?”

Lance whipped his head to the side to face Keith. His blue eyes bore deep into his violet ones in all seriousness.

“Stop smoking.” He blurted out and Keith’s lips slightly parted in as he gaped in disbelief. When Keith didn’t say anything, Lance tore his gaze away and stared at the pebbles underneath his shoes. He continued in a mutter; “I read somewhere that each stick of cigarette takes away eleven minutes of your life.”

Silence.

“And well,” Lance forced out. “What if you get sick? It’s not worth it. Quit getting wasted too, it’s a pain to prevent you from choking on your puke.” He shook his head. “You threw up in a vase, for crying out loud. By the way, I hoped you cleaned that up. It looked expensive and---“

Lance continued to blabber until he was just downright stuttering and running out of words to say. That was when Keith took the opportunity to speak;

“You really do give a fuck about me, huh?” it was Keith’s version of softening the impact on the ‘You really do care about me?’ thing.

“I thought you remember everything from that night?” Lance demanded with a pout and he sulked a bit before he decided to just finish off his ice cream. “You asked the same question!”

“I know.” Keith nodded, finishing his own treat. “I was just making sure it wasn’t a dream.”

“Well it wasn’t. So you better agree to my terms.” Lance said. He looked at Keith, his eyes searching the answers on his face. “Stop selling yourself short and start taking better care of yourself.”

“Okay.”

Lance’s eye widened. “Really?”

“Yeah, why?” This time, Keith frowned. First, Lance was making him quit fucking himself up and now the guy was questioning his honesty about it?

“Oh. I was actually expecting you to fight me on it.”

“I’ll fight you for some other reason.” Keith shrugged. “But you’re right on this one. If that pays off the favor, then fine, I’ll do it if that’s what you want.”

Lance fell quiet for a moment before he lifted his right hand and offered his pinky to Keith.

“Promise?”

Keith stared at the deal sealer. What the hell was Lance? Five? He sighed and raised his hand to wrap his own pinky finger around Lance’s.

“Promise.” The contact was warm along their fingers but Lance’s smile was warmer when he beamed at Keith.

Shiro’s words echoed in Keith’s mind again: ‘ _If you’ll look hard enough, there are actually people who care about you.’_

With the way Lance was being right now, Keith wanted to throw everything aside and grab the damn jackass and just kiss him. But Keith knew that he can’t do that.

Not yet.

~

The gate of Altea loomed above them as Keith and Lance peeked from behind a topiary of a lion that decorated the pathway that led to the inside of the campus. Students were already wandering around and doing their business which meant that it was the perfect time to sneak in without getting any attention on them

“Okay.” Lance scaled the right railing connected to the brick wall that served a barrier into the premises. “Now what?”

“Over here.” Keith gestured towards a thick canopy of trees and they followed the length of the wall past the thick trees that led to the back of the school. Somewhere far within the shrubs and the vines that were in their way, they finally reached a disturbance along the fence. There was a gap big enough for one person to squeeze in but it was a bit high up.

“Is there anything fragile in your bag?” Keith asked and Lance shook his head. “Okay, good. Now throw it over the fence.”

Lance did as Keith instructed and hauled his bag into the air where it landed on the other side of the fence before Keith followed suit.

“Watch and learn.” Keith smirked and jumped onto the fence, his fingers grasping the bars. Using the momentum, he hauled his weight up and grasped the two poles that provided the wide gap in the fence. After that, Keith turned to his side and squeezed in between before he leapt down and landed on the other side.

“Okay, now you try.” Keith told Lance who watched from the other side.

“Take Blue first.” Lance handed his skateboard to Keith through the gaps between the bars.

“You named your skateboard, Blue?” Keith quirked a brow as he received the board to his side. “But it’s black.”

“Shut up, she was blue when I first got her.” Lance hissed and Keith just rolled his eyes. He then took a step back and thought about the maneuvers he would take. Taking a deep breath, Lance scaled the fence and copied Keith as he squeezed through the gap.

However, when Lance jumped down, he lost his balance and landed on his ass.

“Son of a bitch.” He hissed as he rubbed his back side. “This shit looked easier in Assassin’s Creed.”

Keith snorted a laugh and Lance glared at him. Nonetheless, Keith helped Lance up and handed him his things.

“Not bad, rookie.” He said and Lance rolled his eyes at him. “Alright, here comes the tricky part; not getting caught. We have to get our things in our lockers before anyone becomes suspicious that we have our stuff with us.”

Lance nodded and pushed his glasses up his nose. Soon, the two of them were off. It felt like a stealth mission to not get caught. Lance and Keith crossed the football field and ducked behind the bleachers which were a few meters from the door that led to the back of the main building.

Keith placed his hand on the handle of the back door where the long line of lockers were.

“We made it!” Lance grinned. “We make a pretty good team, huh?”

“Yeah.” Keith had to agree. He had always done this on his own and at first, he thought that Lance would slow him down. Turns out that it was more effective to have Lance around because the guy served a lookout while Keith broke through locks or devised a route for them to take

“We do make a good team.” Keith finally opened the door.

Only to come face to face with a pair of disappointed eyes and a neatly shaped ginger mustache.

“Lance Calhoun and Keith Kogane.” Coran crossed his arms over his chest. “There you two are.”

Lance and Keith only stared at him with eyes wide with shock. Coran gave a soft ‘tsk’ and gestured for the two young students.

“Instead of coming in class and accepting the proper sanctions for tardiness, you two rascals decide to run off to Quiznacks-knows-where. The prefects might have missed you, but the newly installed security cameras didn’t.”

“Sir, we…” Lance began but Coran held up a hand before Lance could continue.

“Ah, ah, Lance, please.”  He gestured for them to follow him. “All explanations will be done in the Headmaster’s office.” Coran pointed down the hall. “Kindly follow me.”

Keith and Lance did so with Keith looking pissed while Lance was starting shake in fear. He was a scholar after all and any kind of offense can cost him his scholarship.

“Relax, let me do all the talking.” Keith nudged the other teen with his arm.

“Are you sure you won’t make it worse?” Lance glanced nervously at Coran’s back who was walking ahead of them towards Headmaster Alfor’s office.

“Come on, I’ve done this a million times.” Keith gave Lance a look of disbelief. “Have some faith. I’m an expert.”

“Okay, I’ll lighten the mood and you can throw in your negotiations or whatever.” Lance nodded. Altea’s Headmaster, Alastair Alfor, is a kind but stern man in his sixties. He was a man who greatly valued education and proper conduct which meant that he took offenses such as cutting classes with grave seriousness. However, Alfor also listened to reason and allowed student to speak in their defense so there was a chance that Lance and Keith can convince him to let them off the hook even if it was just this once.

UNOFORTUNATELY, nothing prepared them from what waited for them in the Headmaster’s office.

Alfor sat on his desk, his white hair neatly combed back and his fingers laced together as he watched Lance and Keith on his doorway. There was disappointment in his eyes but he was open to hear the boys’ side of the story. However, it wasn’t Alfor Lance and Keith should be worried about.

The moment they walked in, Lance felt the blood on his face drain while Keith hissed a blue streak of curses under his breath.

Allura and Shiro sat on the visitor’s couch in Alfor’s office. Lance’s mother was dressed properly as a mother should when the school called her to come while Shiro was dressed in his usual suit while he idly spun his phone between his fingers.

And both of them did not look happy.

Shiro looked at Keith, disappointment obvious in his dark slanted eyes while Allura’s tone was pitched and upset;

“Lance Alexander Calhoun, where have you been?”

FUCK.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking chances, an act of bravery that changes fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm back from the writing break! During that time, I also wrote a Klangst one shot called These Stars Aren't You, so I hope you'll check it out. If you're reading this, I'm glad that you're still with us in this story and you have my deepest thanks for being so.
> 
> I hope you like this chapter because it's going to change the lives of our characters and it's time to step up Shallura. Let me know what you guys think!  
> OMG and as a token of my thanks for 6k hits and 600+ Kudos, I put up Allura's mood board on my tumblr! I hope you guys like it! Thank so much again for reading and commenting! You are all encouraging~ <3

Chapter 12

Pidge, Hunk, and Shay all beat Lance with their unwavering stares a few days after his little retreat with Keith. They gave Lance some time to settle back in since it had been a pretty close call for him and his cherished scholarship.

“Well, bro?” Hunk leaned in from across the picnic table under their usual oak tree.

“Well, what?” Lance repeated the question as he looked up from his pudding cup.

“Aren’t you going to tell us the details?” Pidge’s glasses reflected the sunlight that speared through the thick branches and leaves on top of them.

“Come on, Lance!” Shay was eager and interested as well. “Did you kiss?”

“No!” Lance almost choked on the pudding he was swallowing. “Why the hell would we kiss?”

“Because it’s obvious that you’re attracted to each other?” The sophomore wagged her eyebrows at Lance. “Right, Pidge?”

“Oh, yes.” Pidge’s grin was ear to ear. “It’s so obvious.”

“No, we’re not!” Lance whined in defense but for some reason, he can’t look straight at Pidge and Shay.  Hunk on the other hand, asked how the events with Alfor went;

“What about the thing in the Headmaster’s office?” Hunk asked, his thick brows furrowed in worry. “You’re not supposed to taint your record in anyway because of your scholarship.”

Lance groaned and rolled his eyes but he set down his spoon on his half eaten pudding. “Fine. Listen up, kids.”

Then he began to narrate. 

~ooo~ooo~ooo~

_Lance could feel Allura’s, Alfor’s, and Coran’s gazes burning a huge hole in him as he stood in front of the headmaster’s desk with Keith. He clutched his skateboard tightly to his side and he bit his lower lip, nervous; there was absolutely no excuse for their actions._

_“You two know well why I’ve summoned your parents here, gentlemen.” Alfor’s tone was calm and collected as he unfolded his long fingers. He lowered his hands back to his lap and leaned back against his chair while his wise, intelligent eyes studied the two youths before him._

_“Instead of coming into class and accepting the proper sanctions,” Alfor continued while Coran nodded in eager agreement beside him. “You disappeared to God-knows-where only to sneak back in. Both is a double offense, what do you have to say for yourselves?”_

_“Sorry.” Keith was the first one to answer. His tone held the usual coldness, but his eyes were trailed down and set on the carpeted floor instead of daringly holding Alfor’s or Shiro’s._

_“Yes, sir, we are.” Lance felt like he was shrinking. “It won’t happen again.”_

_This time, Coran sighed; “Lance, my boy, an apology might not cut it for you. You do know that you are an Altean scholar, any kind of offense on your behavior might revoke that title.”_

_Allura stilled and her blue lilac eyes widened at that realization while Lance felt his heart drop from his chest._

_“S-Sir, please, I---“ He began. If he lost this scholarship, he would have to leave Altea and his dreams of attaining a bright future. He could ultimately see his goals that he had set for himself and his mother crumble before his eyes._

_“Wait!” To everyone’s shock, Keith interrupted. He took a step forward in Lance’s stead, placing the other teen behind him. “Lance had nothing to do with this. It’s my fault, I dragged him out and convinced him to skip.”_

_Lance stared at Keith with wide eyes while Shiro wordlessly tilted his head to the side, a single eyebrow arched in a mixture of surprise and interest._

_“If you want to blame someone, blame me. Let Lance off the hook.”_

_“Well, Mr. Kogane,” Alfor’s tone sounded taken back. “You surely are no stranger in my office. But this is the first time I’ve seen you act selflessly on your own will. Over the years you’ve been sent here with others due to offenses, you’ve always placed the blame on the other.”_

_Wow, Keith threw people under the bus to save his ass? But why was he taking the hit for Lance now? Something was not adding up but Lance was too nervous to let that linger in his mind because he could clearly see the disappointment in his mother’s eyes._

_Finally, Shiro’s cool baritone sliced through the heavy silence as he leaned against the comfortable backrest of the couch._

_“Mr. Alfor,” he began. He looked at ease as he carried out an attempted negotiation. “As far as I’m concerned, this is the first time I’ve been called here because Keith was caught cutting classes.” He looked momentarily at Allura who sat beside him on the couch, their eyes locking for a moment. “And this is Lance’s first time to be sent here as well. My son has already taken responsibility of this incident and I think that’s pretty big coming from someone irresponsible like Keith.”_

_“Shir---“ Keith started to protest but snapped his mouth shut when Shiro gave him a sharp look with those slanted, enigmatic eyes. Alfor and Coran didn’t appear fazed by it, but Lance and Allura certainly caught the silent, tensioned message. Mother and so glanced at each other in understanding but said nothing._

_“I mean,” Keith sighed and tore his violet gaze away to glare at the vase of fresh lilies that was by the window. “Sorry,” he paused and he appeared to struggle momentarily. “It won’t happen again, d-dad.”_

_This is ultimately the first time Lance has heard Keith call Shiro ‘dad’. It’s always ‘Shiro, this…’, ‘Shiro, that…’ and the way Keith forced out the word was more forced. Did he and Shiro really have such a complicated relationship that Keith is having trouble calling him ‘dad’?_

_“Ms. Calhoun,” Shiro turned to Allura this time and she looked up to meet his gaze. There was a moment of silence before Shiro offered an apologetic smile. “I’d like to apologize that Keith got Lance into trouble. I hope that our arrangement concerning his education is still fine?”_

_“Of course.” Allura nodded and managed a small smile but her eyes still looked worried, most likely for Lance’s sake. “I will still tutor him.”_

_Coran took one look at the situation that had unfolded before him before his eyes finally settled to lock with Lance’s blue ones. This young lad had always been so lively and cheerful in his class but right now, he was pale as a ghost. Making up his mind, Coran slowly lowered his head and with a dignified pose, whispered something into Alfor’s ear. The headmaster listened with slight nods and whispered something back as well._

_“Ms. Calhoun, Mr. Shirogane,” Alfor’s tone held finality. “Since technically this is the first time for this particular offense, I will pardon your sons just this once.”_

_He then addressed the two students. “However, as per the school’s policy, I would have to send the both of you home for the day. Please make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”_

_“Your scholarship is still safe for now, Lance.” Coran nodded in affirmation. “Make sure to stay out of trouble. You are immensely under more pressure since you’re in your second to the last year.”_

_Lance felt his knees buckle as he heaved a very deep sigh of relief while Allura closed her eyes and released the breaths she had been holding in as well._

_“Thank you, oh my god, thank you!”_

_Finally, he met those deep violet eyes and whispered with a smile of relief. “Thank you.”_

~ooo~ooo~ooo~

It had been a close call and Lance got the scolding of his life from Allura when they got home. Lance was made to clean the bathroom until the tiles sparkled that same day and he was grounded from the internet and the PS4 for a few days, but that was better than losing his scholarship. However, he hasn’t heard from Keith since then.

“Oh, wow.” Hunk’s chocolate brown eyes were wide as he absorbed the story while Shay gaped. “Keith did that?”

“He ultimately took the hit for you.” Shay breathed in disbelief. It really did appear that Keith was known for saving his own skin.

Pidge, however, studied Lance in silence. Keith and Lance had always been up on each other’s throats in competition since they started in Altea but it appears that the tides have shifted now. Subtly, their gaze swerved to the side and met both Hunk’s and Shay’s.  While Lance wasn’t looking when he was too distracted by his pudding, the three exchanged smiles.

“I guess.” Lance muttered as he finished off his after-lunch treat. “Hell, even I was surprised. I was expecting Keith to leave me in midair, to be honest. But he didn’t…” he trailed off along with his thoughts.

Just then, Hunk spotted a familiar raven mullet haired student walking down the gravel path. As usual, Keith had his earbuds plugged into his ears as he ignored the world around him and he held a can of orange soda by the rim between his fingers.

“Is he alone again?” Shay asked as they watched the aloof teen.

“Looks like it.” Pidge replied. “I mean, I get it. After Rolo and Nyma let Keith walk away wasted last weekend and left him to fend for himself in a park filled with wild Ghastly, I don’t think he’d want to hang out with them anymore.” They shrugged. “I won’t.”

“Guys,” Finally, Lance took a deep breath and looked at his friends. “Your great leader has a proposal.”

Pidge groaned at ‘great leader’ while Shay glanced at Hunk and then to the bespectacled blue eyed teen.

“I think… I know.” She smiled and Hunk grinned at Lance. “I mean, why not give it a try. It won’t kill you.”

“Nicely put, beautiful.” Hunk agreed and Shay’s cheeks tinted pink at the compliment. “Go on, Lance. I have some pudding left.”

Lance took a deep breath and stood up from his seat. He thought back to their little adventure a few days ago and thought about how idiotically happy and sadistic Keith was when he shoved that slimy kelp down his back. And in that moment, he thought that maybe… just maybe, Keith wasn’t the asswipe Lance thought he was.

“Hey, Keith!” Lance jogged up to Keith who was already a bit far off. When he reached the other teen who looked at him with confusion as he removed one earbud to listen, Lance continued; “You want to come sit with us?”

“Why?” Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance, almost suspicious.

“Hunk’s got some pudding left.” Lance replied with a cheeky grin. “Come on before Pidge decides to be a little shit and eats it.”

From behind, Lance’s friends waved welcomingly at Keith who stared back, utterly confused but followed Lance back to their table.

Ah, food bribery.

Works every time.

Oblivious to the squad as they laughed and made fun of each other with Keith still trying to get used to all the warmth, Rolo and Nyma strolled by. The blonde senior girl nudged Rolo on the arm and gestured at the picnic table under the oak tree while she scowled at the sight of Keith with a bunch of rejects.

“Looks like someone’s not worth our time anymore.” Nyma said, her words laced with the slur of her Russian roots.  “How disappointing.”

“True.” Rolo replied. “It’s too bad; I liked Keith.  But what I’m interested in is why he suddenly decided to lower his standards to the ground.”

Nyma knew that look Rolo gave and subtly she crossed her arms over her chest and slightly leaned forward towards Rolo. “What are you thinking?”

“Pest control, babe.” Rolo narrowed his eyes at the loud, cheerful, blue-eyed scholar who laughed beside Keith.

~///~///~///~

The dead wifi router mocked Allura by being, well, dead. Tucking a wavy lock of hair behind her ear, she racked her brain for alternative solutions for this problem. Lance was no concern because he was still grounded from the internet but Allura also has a deadline that she had to meet. Keith’s weekly progress report was due today and she didn’t want to take any chances in being late because it was unprofessional, especially with someone with Shiro’s standards.

“I guess I would have to go there and hand these over.” Allura sighed as she picked up the folder with Keith’s report. She went to her bedroom to change into something casual and presentable since she will be going to a corporate office. Finally, Allura stared at her reflection;

She wore a floral blouse underneath a cream cardigan and skinny jeans. A pastel lilac scarf was loosely wrapped around her neck and to finish it off, she tied her wavy hair into a tame side ponytail. Allura wasn’t going to stay long and in fact, maybe she could just them over to Shiro’s stuck up secretary, Chloe Rixton.

Locking the apartment door, Allura barely caught the bus when she arrived at the stop a block down from her place. She sat by the window and watched the cars that zipped past the opposite lane while her purse and Keith’s folder were safely settled on her lap.

As the minutes went by, Allura found her thoughts wandering back to the night Lance called her about Keith and she had to call Shiro in Toronto. It placed Allura in an awkward situation when she found out that she had interrupted Shiro while he was with another woman.

“Why does this bother me so much?” Allura frowned to herself. Yes, once or twice, she had tested the stormy waves of dating but nothing really worked out for her. Lance always encouraged her to date other men and she appreciated it that her sweet boy just wanted her to be happy. But after the extreme pain of being abandoned by Lance’s father and being disowned by her family to keep up appearances, it was so hard for Allura to open up her heart and trust again.

These events made her stronger but being strong didn’t mean that she was okay all the time. Allura was just human after all. After those thoughtful moments, Allura shook her head back into focus when she spied the Voltron tower in the distance. She and Shiro had a professional relationship with a dash of casualness.

Nothing more, nothing less.

~

The elevator car was empty as usual when it went past the 30th floor. Allura stared at her reflection on the polished elevator doors and she noted that she still looked like a mess from the commute. She attempted to smooth out her hair but it only poofed back and the wavy curls stuck out in different directions.

When the doors opened to reveal the familiar lavish hallway that led to the CEO’s office, Allura stepped out. However, something didn’t feel right today. It was quiet; she didn’t hear the phone ringing or Chloe’s meticulous tapping on her computer while she spoke to the clients on the phone via her Bluetooth earpiece.

From the end of the hallway where she stepped out of the elevator, Allura noticed that Chloe’s desk was empty today. When she walked closer, she saw that it was vacant except for the computer that was turned off and the phone which displayed ‘4 unopened voice mails’ on the LCD.

Deciding that it was best not to meddle, Allura approached the black double doors and lifted her fist to knock but suddenly, the phone on Chloe’s desk blared.

Startled, Allura stared at it then at the door again when she heard something thump from the inside like something fell. Then there was a muffled “Ow, dammit!” before the door swung open and she came face to face with Shiro.

“Allura?” Shiro’s eyes widened, his lips parted in a slight gasp. He looked tired with dark circles around his slanted eyes; his tie was pulled down sloppily with the first two buttons of his shirt undone, his sleeves were folded up to his elbows to reveal half of the tattoo sleeve on his right arm, and  his hair was out of its usual combed neatness.

“Oh, Shiro,” Allura’s own eyes widened as Shiro fully opened the door and at the same time, the ringing on the phone stopped. “Are…Are you alright?”

“Uh, yeah.” Shiro nodded but ran a hand over his face, looking extremely tired. “Just shorthanded, that’s all.”

Allura glanced at the secretary’s desk. “Ms. Rixton called in sick?”

“No, I fired her.”

Eyebrows shooting up in surprise Allura wanted to ask why Shiro fired Chloe but decided against it since she wasn’t supposed to put her nose in other people’s business. When Shiro glanced at the folder she was holding, Allura quickly remembered her purpose of coming here.

“Oh, here.” She handed the folder to Shiro. “My wifi is down and I can’t email you Keith’s progress report from last week so I just brought it here.” She paused when Shiro just stared at her. “I’m sorry for dropping in such an inconvenient time.”

“It’s alright.” Shiro managed a quick smile and for a moment there, his posture seemed to relax.

With a quick parting smile, Allura bid him good bye.

“Wait! I’m glad---“ Shiro began as Allura was about to take her leave but the secretary’s phone rang again. Shiro was about to get it but froze when his phone vibrated in his pocket. There was an audible groan that came from him that was a mixture of frustration and desperation. Allura knew she had to do something or it looked like Shiro would crash from the pressure so when the man pulled out his phone, Allura strode to the secretary’s table and answered the phone.

“Voltron executive office, good morning.” Allura had observed how Chloe did things around here when she waited to be summoned inside Shiro’s office. From the doorway, Shiro watched Allura while he engaged in his own conversation. She took a seat in front of the computer and pulled on the drawers until she found the leather bound planner. She also started up the PC and quickly found the spreadsheet that had Shiro’s schedule encoded on it.

Suddenly, Allura looked up from what she was jotting down on the planner and covered the phone receiver wither her hand.

“There’s this Helga person representing a guy named Zarkon from Galra tech.” Allura whispered to Shiro when he strode over to lean on the desk. “Is 2 PM tomorrow good for that meeting?”

Shiro rolled his eyes in distaste when he thought to himself; _‘Oh, Haggar.’_

He then shook his head while he continued to speak on his smartphone in his native tongue to excuse himself for a moment.

“Cancel it.” He paused from his own conversation to mouth back the words. “Make it the day after tomorrow, please.” Then he resumed talking on his phone. When Allura relayed the message and hung up, Shiro did too.

There was a moment of silence as Allura typed in the changes in the schedule on the computer. The program was simple enough that she was able to figure it out with ease.

“I’ve rescheduled the Galra meeting to this Thursday instead,” Allura said, her brows furrowed in concentration. “You have a deadline this afternoon and a working dinner meeting at 6 PM with some suppliers.”

Shiro didn’t say anything and just watched Allura work on managing and organizing everything with ease.  He had to fire Chloe because her behavior was starting to become inappropriate in the workplace and it was grating on Shiro’s nerves. In addition to that, she wasn’t very effective in managing Shiro’s work schedule.

Allura, however, appeared different. She was able to handle everything in a more capable way in a short time than Chloe ever did and she was pretty focused on her task. Being Keith’s tutor and reporting to him every week had also given Shiro a glimpse of her work ethics and how professional she was.

“Allura, can I ask you something?” Shiro began just as Allura placed down the planner she was writing on and exhaled a sigh of relief from arranging the hectic mess of a schedule.

“Yes?” She looked up, blue-lilac eyes locking with his dark ones.

“Do you have another job besides tutoring Keith?”

Allura was taken back by the sudden question, where was this coming from?

“Well, none as of the moment.” Allura replied. “I was thinking of getting another job for the days that I’m not teaching Keith to make better use of my time.”

“Perfect.” Shiro beamed and he straightened from leaning against the desk; it would a waste to let a talented woman walk away from him. “I have an offer for you, Ms. Calhoun. How would you like to be my executive secretary?”

“Pardon?” Maybe she was imagining things because Allura just heard Shiro ask her to be his secretary.

“I asked if you’d like to be my secretary.” Shiro repeated. He didn’t mind that Allura was gaping at him right now because this was sudden. “I’m actually impressed by how you handle time management.”

Allura chuckled nervously. “Ah, thank you. It comes with being a single mom and all.” She paused. “You already hired me as Keith’s tutor. Are you sure about this one too?”

“Of course. You don’t tutor Keith until 4 PM and you’re free on his self-study days.” Shiro casually leaned against the desk by his hip and studied Allura. “You can work here until you have to go and tutor him, if that’s fine by you.”

It was amazing how Allura just lent a helping hand because Shiro was a downright mess trying to organize his hectic work on his own and then she ended up being offered a job. It sounded reasonable and Allura wasn’t the type to shut off opportunity.

“Thank you for the offer.” She finally smiled at him, determined. “It would be an honor to work for you.”

Shiro flashed a charming smile but held out his hand for Allura who took it in her own. Her hand was warm within his grip as they shook to seal the agreement, their touch lingering longer that it should be.

 “Oh, I almost forgot!” She watched in confusion as Shiro disappeared inside his office and walked out with a bag of ground coffee in his grasp.

“I don’t know if Lance mentioned it to you but I got you this from my last business trip. He said that you’re in love with coffee, so here you go.” Shiro subtly cleared his throat and Allura wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but Shiro looked flustered as he handed her the coffee. “Consider it as a gift.”

Oh yeah, Allura knew about the coffee alright all because of Lance’s speaker phone antics. However she blocked the awkwardness from the other woman’s voice that she heard. Allura gratefully accepted the coffee and closed her eyes as she caught a whiff of the ground beans.

“Welcome aboard.” Shiro said. “When can you start?”

“I can start tomorrow!” Allura replied with willing enthusiasm. “Thank you, Shiro. I won’t let you down.”

Who knew that a simple agreement would be the beginning of something long and permanent between them?


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I asked my friend from France about the translation of The Little Glass Garden and it's Le Petit Jardin de Verre.
> 
> Thank you for all the love and support you show! I'm so glad that I'm able to share this slow burn story with you guys! <3

Chapter 13

 “Yes, thank you,” Allura spoke through the Bluetooth earpiece synced to the phone as she spoke to a client. “I’ll inform Mr. Shirogane after his meeting. Will there be anything else?” She idly spun her pen over her notepad while another notebook that had Keith’s lesson plan for their session later was opened.

Allura has mastered the art of multitasking. Needing to work and raise Lance at the same time in this city where it was just the two of them, Allura had to learn to hustle. It wasn’t easy for her because she didn’t know anyone first and she was somewhat sheltered by her family so it was a big dog eat dog world when she went on her own.

After Allura ended the call with a polite goodbye, she glanced at the small framed Polaroid of her and Lance holding sparkle sticks during the latest New Year celebration they had. Lance was actually happy that she got another job with Shiro after he freaked out for a solid twenty minutes. It was actually very nice of Shiro to give her this opportunity and it was also flexible for her because she was allowed to go early on the designated days that she was meant to tutor Kieth.

It’s been a few days since she started as Shiro executive secretary and so far, she’s been able to keep grace under pressure. In those few days, Allura realized that those ETC dramas are all a lie. It’s near impossible for a secretary to look fresh and on fleek in four inch heels without a single hair out of their head because from what Allura’s has experienced so far, Shiro’s schedule did not fuck around.

Placing down the pen, she gathered the folder files that she had arranged for Shiro and took a deep breath before she stood up from her chair. Allura smoothed out the wrinkles on her blouse and dusted off her pencil skirt. Her hair was up in a bun on the top of her head and she wore her fashion outdated heels because she had yet to afford new ones. Taking the folders, Allura made her way to the familiar black double doors and gave three rasps on the polished surface to announce her entrance.

“Guess what?” Was her first greeting as she walked in the lavish executive office that had a breathtaking view of the city.

Shiro looked up from some papers he was reading before he signed them. When he saw the thick stack cradled in Allura’s arms, he groaned;

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the CEO.” Allura chuckled and placed down the stack on top of Shiro’s desk. “Here, I arranged it by priority with the most urgent set on top. I’ve flagged all the pages you need to sign so you don’t miss any, and Reedson Outsourcing just called to follow up on the contract.”

“I think I signed that already.” Shiro removed the reading glasses that framed his tired, slanted eyes. He placed it on the desk and massaged his closed eyes with his fingers before he ran a hand down his handsome face. “Thank you for taking care of those.” Truth be told, Allura was handling all the work better and more efficient than Chloe Roxton did. In addition to that, Allura didn’t diddle daddle and she carried things out professionally and with discipline. Included in that, is that she did not spend half of the time trying to flirt with Shiro unlike her predecessor.

However, now that applied with Allura, Shiro didn’t know how to feel about it.

“You need a break.” Allura slightly frowned and Shiro quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Didn’t you just place more work on my desk, Allura?” a small playful smile played on his lips. He was tired, yes, but all of this was the responsibility that unexpectedly fell on his shoulders.

It was both a blessing and a curse.

“Yes, I did.” She nodded, casually tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “But it is also in my job description as your assistant to make sure that you don’t work yourself to death, sir.”

The corners of Shiro’s lips threatened to crack into a grin. Oh, Allura sure was bold to say that and he wasn’t complaining at all. She’s not a week into this new arrangement and she’s already made things more manageable for Shiro.

“Alright,” he agreed and stood up to stretch. Allura averted her eyes the moment she saw Shiro’s fluid muscles flex underneath his white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Shiro sure was attractive and he was a gentleman too, but Allura knew her place and there was no room for something like that in the office.

“Why not take a break too?”

“I’ll call room service and have food delivered up.” Allura took out her company issued smart phone and scrolled through the local company directory. “What would you like, sir?”

“Wait,” Shiro suddenly said and he was met with confused blue lilac eyes. He stilled for a while before he cleared his throat and smiled kindly. “I haven’t properly welcomed you yet as my staff since you started. Why don’t we go out for lunch? I’ll buy.”

Lips parting slightly in surprise, Allura sucked in a breath. “Oh, Shiro, you don’t really have to---“

“No, I insist, come on.” Shiro grinned and grabbed his corporate jacked that was draped at the back of his chair.

Moments later, Allura found herself at the front seat of Shiro’s Audi as he parked in front of a cozy looking rustic building with plants hanging on pots on the veranda. Vines crawled up on the wooden posts and the tables and chairs were those found in one’s garden.

“A flower shop?” Allura asked, glancing at Shiro then back at the building again.

“No, it just looks like it but it’s actually a restaurant.” Shiro replied and Allura followed his lead when he got out of the car. They crossed the street together with Shiro on her side where the cars were coming from.

“Ladies first.” Allura smiled in thanks when Shiro opened the door for her and she stepped in.

A soft ‘wow’ escaped from her when she saw the inside of the restaurant. It was like stepping inside a greenhouse garden. Flowering vines crawled on the plasglass ceiling, there were different kinds of flowering plants in decorative pots and vintage decoration on the shelf.

Shiro led Allura to an empty table and pulled the chair out for her.

“Sir, you don’t have to…” Allura began but Shiro shook his head and motioned at the seat he held out for her.

“You can call me Shiro when it’s just the two of us.” He was amused but glad that Allura sat down. “Relax, Allura. You won’t be able to enjoy the food if you’re tense.”

He took his seat and just in time, their server came out from the back carrying two menu cards. She was a lively young lady with dark brown hair streaked with purple highlights and she wore a frilly waist apron. She looked about Lance’s age, if not a little bit older.

“Shiro!” she greeted happily and the man smiled at her when she handed them the menu cards so they can see what food was available.

“Hi, Vicky.” Shiro greeted in return. “No school today?”

“No,” the girl known as Vicky replied as she shook her head, purple strands catching light from the window. “My schedule isn’t too bad this semester. I got lucky that my classes are placed apart so I can work during in-between.”

Vickly then turned to Allura who looked up from her menu card and she beamed. “Bonjour! Welcome to Le Petit Jardin de Verre! Are you ready to order?”

“Ah, yes.” Allura nodded. “I’d like some seafood pasta, please and thank you.”

“And I’ll have the usual.” Shiro followed.

Vicky jotted down their orders in her small Eiffel Tower note pad while she muttered: “One seafood pasta and the usual garden ribs. Alright, I’ll be right back!” Then she left after she took the menu cards.

“You seem to be very well known here.” Allura looked around the small restaurant and admired the vintage and rustic ambiance. “She already knows your name.”

“It’s because I’m here almost every week.” Shiro chuckled. “I like this place. It’s quiet here unlike those fancy places where pleasant conversations turn into low key bragging competitions.” He sighed. “I prefer peace and quiet over than any day.”

Shiro then motioned at the purpled haired girl behind the counter. “Vicky’s been working here for a few months. She’s a first year art student and she’s doing part time work to help pay for her school expenses.”

Allura watched the youngster who was busy behind the counter. “I’m guessing she’s nineteen.”

“I believe so.” Shiro leaned back on his chair and studied Allura who was so fixated on watching Vicky. There was a gentle look in her blue lilac eye which made Shiro ask; “Are you alright?”

“Yes.” Allura nodded and turned back to face Shiro again. There was a small smile on her lips but her gaze was lowered. “She just reminds me of myself when I was her age, that’s all.”

Shiro was quiet for a moment, his dark eyes never leaving the brilliant woman who was seated in front of him. Allura may be his staff and Keith’s tutor but she was also a friend. Secretly, he wanted to learn more about her.

“How so?”

“Well, I came here alone and pregnant when I was that young lady’s age.” Allura replied and Shiro wanted to pour water over his head. He seemed to have a bad habit of asking innocent questions that unlocked more personal issues.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go there.” Shiro quickly apologized and slightly dipped his head in apology. Allura felt a small smile tug on her lips at how adorable she found it.

“It’s no trouble at all.” Allura replied. Throughout the last seventeen years, life had taught her so many things and she even gained some friends to help her along the way. It was hard, but her love for Lance spurred her to go on to give the best that she could afford for her son.

“It’s obvious anyway, I did mention Lance’s father when you were kind enough to help me carry my groceries home. I don’t mind talking about it.”

Allura watched Vicky from the corner of her eye as the girl arranged their food on a tray so she could deliver it. “I hustled between jobs.” She said. “Tutoring, assistant at a daycare, and even waitressing. I did as much as I could until Lance got too heavy for me to work.” The memory made her eyes soften and Shiro watched her attentively. “And well, you know how energetic Lance is; it was no different back then, he liked to kick a lot.”

Shiro saw a soft light in Allura’s eyes that told of her love for her son. The way that love just fills up her very being when Lance comes into the picture and the strength she demonstrated to make it through the hardships in her life… he found it beautiful.

“Lance grew up to a fine young man and you’re to thank for it.” Shiro nodded while Allura smiled radiantly at the compliment before she let silence consume her for a moment.

“Shiro,” she said. “You know, I’ve noticed that Keith’s been more cooperative since the incident at the park. He’s still stubborn, but he puts in effort now.”

“He’s been spending more time with Lance’s group so I assume that your son has made an impact on him as well.”

“Shiro, if I may ask?” This time, Allura threw back the question. “How did you become a successful CEO?”

“It was by a matter of circumstance.” Shiro’s answer was very straight to the point and Allura took in the information. “My predecessor as CEO of Voltron was my older brother but he died in an accident so,” he sighed. “As the next one in line, I had to take over.”

“But weren’t you a police officer?” Shiro appreciated how Allura was interested but not in a scandalous way as if she was digging up dirt on him. The tone she used till held an edge of respect, prominent of the fact that she still saw him as her boss.

“Yes, I was.” He replied and as he did, he laid the table napkin on his lap. “Our father made sure that my brother and I were both armed with knowledge about the corporate world. But since, I’m not the original heir, I went on to pursue what I wanted while my brother led the company.”

Shiro was completely fine with the arrangement. He always thought that his older brother was invincible until he got a dreaded call from his mother about the grave news that his brother was involved in car accident.

“Is that why you quit being a cop?” Allura’s question was soft but Shiro shook his head, his gaze lowered to stare at the silverware on his side of the table.

Shiro shook his head and he gazed out of the window at the people walking on the street. His eyes were distance as he replied; “No, I already quit being a cop when I was told that my brother died and I have to take his place.” Finally, he paused and turned back to meet Allura’s eyes;

“I quit so I could take care of Keith.”

Allura stilled.

“Here’s your order, sorry for the wait!” Vicky suddenly popped out with the tray carrying their food. She carefully placed the plates in front of them and poured them a glass of water and some iced tea. “Will there be anything else?”

“This is fine,” Shiro smiled at the young woman. “Thank you, Vicky.”

“No, this is lovely.” Allura quickly followed with an agreeing nod. “Thank you.”

When Vicky left to cater to the other customers that had stepped in to dine, Allura and Shiro fell into a casual conversation about work as they ate. It wasn’t long before they deviated to more lighter topics like home care, their favorite TV shows, and Lance and Keith. However, at the back of Allura’s mind, she couldn’t help but think about what Shiro told her.

What happened with Keith which made him quit the force?

Where was Keith’s mother? Wasn’t it that woman with Shiro in Toronto?

But delving deep to gather information not freely given is disrespectful so Allura just let it go and forced back the nagging voice of intrigued confusion.

“I’ll just use the ladies room.” Allura finally said after they finished their meal.

“Sure, I’ll head to the counter and pay the bill.” Shiro nodded but the woman before him frowned.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “I mean, it’s okay, we can split the bill. I don’t want to seem like I’m imposing.”

Ah, there it was, Shiro thought. That same reluctance he saw in Lance when he offered the young man a ride to school back then; mother and son were really awfully polite and it was adorable.

“Hey,” he chuckled as he and Allura stood up. He took his jacked that hung behind the backrest of his chair and draped the folded fabric over his left arm. “My treat, remember?”

Allura stared for a moment, concern in her eyes before she just smiled and nodded. She then excused herself to use the ladies room while Shiro walked up to the counter where the purple haired teen looked up from checking some receipts behind the register.

“Here you go.” Shiro handed the cash to Vicky who took it and punched their bill in the register.

“Sooooo,” The teen hummed with a smile. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Shiro then quirked an eyebrow at Vicky who handed him his change. “No. She’s my secretary.”

“You’ve been eating here alone for months, Shiro.” Vicky laughed softly. “And now you finally bring in a very pretty lady but nooooo, she’s _just_ your secretary.”

Shiro shook his head and chuckled. After he took his change from Vicky and pocketed it, he reached forward to ruffle the top of Vicky’s purple head which made the youngster pout and pull away. One other thing he loved about Le Petit Jardin de Verre is that no one cared who he was. Here, Shiro can be himself without gaping stares and whispers.

“Come on, head out the clouds, kid. Worry about the customers and not my non-existent love life.” He paused to consider what Vicky had told him and he had to agree with it.

Lowly, he muttered in admittance; “But yes, she is attractive.”

“Then go for it!” Vicky hissed in excitement before she looked over her shoulder to make sure her supervisor was nowhere in sight. She then handed Shiro a small paper bag from under the counter.

“Listen to me, old man,” She said, blue-gray eyes twinkling. “These are the last breadsticks you’ll ever get from me for free if you don’t at least _try_ to ask her out.”

“Are you black mailing me with breadsticks, Vicky?” Shiro asked in a serious tone, but there was a small grin on his face.

“You know it!” Vicky waved Shiro off. “Now, shoo. I need to take care of table number 4.”

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Mine_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm going to update a little earlier today because I'll be too busy with school work later. So here you go! Thank you so much for all the overwhelming reviews that you have given! I'm glad that I'm able to make other fans happy with my work! I'm also working on the future chapters and you are all going to meet someone who you will all love to hate. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this update! This will be last update for this week.
> 
> Pining!Allura and Jealous!Keith are my aesthetics <3

Chapter 14

“How many stamps do you have now, Pidge?” Shay asked when Pidge arrived back at their usual veranda table at the Coffee Nook. Today, the gang was studying for their designated tests that would be given the day after; Shay for algebra, Hunk for physics, and the juniors for a chemistry test. Lance, on the other hand, was on front line coffee duty with Kyle since Evie was still on paternal leave.

“I have three now.” Pidge replied as they sat down in front of their laptop with the venti matcha frappe they ordered inside. They tucked their loyalty card in the pocket of the inner flap of their leather bound planner notebook.

“I have six!” Shay beamed and beside her, Hunk sighed while he turned the page of his book.

“Baby, I think you’ve been overdosing on caffeine.” He said and he turned his head to face the younger girl with concern in eyes. “You don’t have to come in here and buy something everyday. There’s plenty of the secret menu for everyone.”

“Me?” Shay scoffed, giddy. “Too much coffee? That’s nonsense!” Shay bounced happily in her seat after she sipped more of her drink. “Coffee is one of the best discoveries of mankind and it must be appreciated.”

“Shaaaaaay...” Hunk whined and the two of them started a lowkey argument about Shay’s coffee addiction. “Come on, babe. That’s not very good for you!”

“Coffee is good for the soul!” Shay stood her ground. “Coffee is my religion!”

While the two lovebirds had their adorable little argument, their newest member, Keith, idly spun his pen along his fingers while he glared at his notebook filled with Allura’s lecture notes. It was like he expected the figures to move or something.

Sometimes, Keith thinks Lance’s mom isn’t human because she spends the whole morning and mid-afternoon as Shiro’s executive secretary and still manage to teach Keith afterwards with pristine discipline. Lance was not different either; being able to juggle his studies and his barista job with little to no trouble. Heck, what could Keith expect? That jackass was a scholar after all.

“Do you need help, Keith?” Pidge noticed the way Keith looked at his notebook like he wanted to burn the damn thing. “I can help if you want.”

“Huh?” Keith looked up from his irritated trance at the shorter teen who sat beside him. At first, Keith thought that hanging out with these people are boring and truth be told, he was right at first. But then he adjusted and realized that despite this clique’s low profile, it was a tight circle where everyone looked out for each other.

In addition to that, they welcomed Keith with open arms and even if they tend to be little shits towards each other, they were warm… and _real._

“Yeah, this atomic mass bullshit.” He replied and leaned back, looking frustrated. “I mean, I get it when Allura explains it but when I do it on my own, it’s like… what the fuck is this shit?”

“Lemme see that, buddy.” Hunk leaned over from across table where he sat and Keith wordlessly handed his notes over. After a quick scan, he asked; “Wait, who’s your chemistry teacher?”

“Elric.” Keith and Pidge groaned simultaneously. They looked at each other and groaned again in agreement.

“Damn.” Hunk wrinkled his nose at the memory of his junior year science class. “Yeah, I remember that guy. He’s short, angry, and teaches the thing like we’re supposed to be born knowing the shit.”

“I know right!” Keith flicked his hands in exaggeration. “God, is this going to be useful in my life?”

“Well, no.” Shay replied. “Unless you want to enter the science field in college.”

“I don’t.”

“Let’s just get this year over with, guys.” Pidge sighed and tried to throw in some positive vibes. “It’s not like this is going to last forever.”

“I need to reward myself after this algebra test.” Shay agreed and took a moment to pop in fork full of the buttercream cupcake she ordered. “I’m thinking… Double Oreo frappe.”

 “Oh no.” Hunk groaned and Pidge laughed when the two started to argue about Shay’s coffee intake again.

This was actually a nice sight for Keith. He didn’t feel pressure to fit in and he can be himself without the need to prove something to people. They also made sure he wasn’t lonely by providing him company but the same time, they respected Keith’s need for space when he asked it.

His gaze wandered to the glass that displayed the inside of the shop; there were quite a number of costumers today. The smell of coffee swirled in the air and soft acoustic music played on the speakers.

Keith then watched the baristas behind the counter; there was Kyle, merrily taking the orders of those in line with that welcoming smile of hers before she slid the cup and the receipt to the work counter where a tall, cute, blue eyed barista energetically made the drinks before handing it to the costumers at the end of the counter.

It was mesmerizing to watch Lance work while putting his heart into each drink he made. Keith’s eyes softened as he was sucked in by the smiles Lance gave to the customers when he handed them their coffee. He and Lance wouldn’t admit it, but it was so obvious that the two of them had grown closer since their little episode at the shore.

The world and the voices around Keith were drowned out and in the moment, Lance was all he saw.

But wait, what’s this?

A guy approached Lance’s counter to get his drink but he seemed to be lingering longer than he should. He was casually leaning on the counter and he said something that made Lance cock his head to the side before he smiled that charismatic smile that had a flirty edge to it. The other guy then said something that made Lance laugh. Keith couldn’t tell what they were talking about, but he wasn’t blind; their body language said it all.

Finally, the guy took a napkin from a holder and scribbled something on it, probably his number, before he handed it to Lance. That was when Keith slammed the pen he was holding on the table and he stood up, his glare trained on the guy like a target.

“Keith?” Shay squeaked, her eyes wide and her coffee argument with Hunk forgotten. “Are you…okay?”

Keith ignored her and narrowed his eyes. His fingers absentmindedly reached up and slightly pulled down his violet neck tie to loosen it up a bit.

“Uh, hey, buddy?” Hunk looked worried now. “What’s wrong?”

Keith then started to walk back inside.

“Dude, where are you going?” Pidge called after this time and finally, Keith stopped and looked over his shoulder at his friends.

“I haven’t ordered anything yet.” then he left to go inside.

When Shay shifted her eyes to look ahead to the direction Keith was going to, she murmured;

“Oh no.”

“What?” Hunk frowned and trailed his eyes to where his girlfriend pointed then he stilled. “Oh. My. God.”

“Am I missing someth---“ Pidge wasn’t even done when they realized what was happening. “Holy shit, is Keith…?”

“I knew it.” Hunk breathed out the words with an edge of awe.

“Keith’s jealous.” Shay breathed.

~

“Hi, Kyle.”

Looking up from the cash register after she placed in the last costumer’s payment, Kyle lifted her green eyes to the person on the other side of the counter.

“Hi, Keith!” she greeted, adjusting her beret. “Nice to see you today! What can I get you?”

Since Keith’s been hanging around at the café with Pidge and the others on his self-study days, Kyle knew him by name already.

“Iced macchiato, medium.” Keith’s answer was almost automatic and Kyle punched in the familiar order because it was what Keith always bought. She tried offering other suggestions, but it appeared that Keith won’t deviate from the iced macchiato anytime soon.

However, she noticed that the Altean student was acting strange today; he appeared to be on edge while he watched the guy that donned the uniform of another school who sat nearby.

“Got it,” Kyle smiled, shaking off the weird feeling. “Just tell me what name I should write so I can hand it over to Lance.”

Keith then finally turned to her as if that was the very thing he was waiting for. And then, he gave a slow, sinister smile.

~

Lance felt flattered and giddy that a cute guy from Garrison High gave him his number after an exchange of flowery words. However, he felt like he won’t be calling him back because there was a tugging feeling that told him no. Sure, Lance liked to flirt, but right now, he’s been reluctant to do it because he was interested in someone else who sported a dumb mullet. However, Lance secretly admitted it into the far corners of his mind that Keith was actually pretty hot. And for someone who stalked around the grounds of Altea with a resting bitch face, he was pretty sweet after their little beach adventure.

Then again, Keith was still an ass.

But he’s an ass _with_ a nice ass.

“Lance,” Lance was started out of his thoughts when Kyle walked up to his station and passed him a medium cup and the receipt. “One iced macchiato.”

“Got it.” Lance winked at her but Kyle just rolled her eyes and shook her head with a helpless smile.

“Nice try, Lance.” Then she walked off to return to the line of customers at the other end of the long counter.

His movements were fluid and Lance made the iced macchiato with ease, reaching for the ingredients without missing a beat. He blended the cream along with the coffee, put in ice, and a dash of espresso for a kick. His feet moved along the limited space of his station with a sense of familiarity as if he was gliding to a beat of silent song. Finally, he placed the cover and grabbed a straw and some napkins to go with the finished drink.

Lance read the name Kyle wrote on the cup and raised a brow at how weird it was. Maybe Kyle just heard the name wrong and wrote that instead.

“One medium iced macchiato for Bae!” Lance called out cheerfully over his station and oddly, the whole room fell quiet. Maybe the name really was wrong; maybe it was supposed to be Bea as in Beatrice, but then a chair scraped loudly against the wooden floorboards as someone stood up.

Lance’s blue eyes widened as they locked with deep violet ones framed behind raven black bangs. His heart jackhammered the wall of his chest as Keith made his way towards him. The room came to a standstill and it felt like as if the swinging heart shaped pendulum on the vintage wall clock slowed down.

Keith took the coffee from Lance’s hand and when their fingers brushed against each other’s, Lance felt heat explode on his face when Keith smiled at him. His glasses slightly slid down the bridge of his nose as he stared.

“Thanks, baby.” Keith’s voice was languid with a hint of playfulness in it. After he took the coffee, he then reached up to push Lance’s glasses back up. Then with small smirk, he turned around and walked back outside to join Pidge, Hunk, and Shay who gaped at the happenings from the other side of the glass.

When Keith walked past the table with the Garrison High student who was flirting with Lance earlier, he allowed their gazes to meet and Keith flashed him a death glare. The guy quickly tore his eyes away and busied himself by rapidly typing on his laptop.

Triumphant at getting his message across, Keith walked out the door, leaving Lance flustered and cherry red at the counter.

 _'That's right.'_ Keith thought smugly to himself.  _'Back the fuck off.'_

~///~///~///~

On Keith’s self-days, Allura rendered full working hours until 7 PM at Voltron Tower. The work flow for the CEO is unpredictable because there are days that were idle and days that were downright hellish.

And tonight, it was hectic.

Allura’s lips were pressed into an irritated line as she read the lengthy email from the organizers for the charity symposium that would be held at the Arusian Children’s Hospital that coming weekend. Besides being one of the top telecommunication companies, Voltron also has its philanthropic activities and annually, it sponsors a fund raising event and activity day for the children at a local hospital.

Unfortunately, the organizers contacted Allura that the teacher in-charged for Story Time couldn’t make it and the event photographer cancelled out too.

Her gaze glanced at her thin silver wrist watch and Allura saw that it was already nearing 8 PM that evening. She had called Lance earlier to tell him that she would be coming home a little late because of work.

 ** _“Yeah, sure, mom.”_** Lance had replied from the other line. **_“I’ll make dinner you can heat up when you get home. Tell Shiro I said hi!”_**

 _“How was your shift, baby?”_ Allura had asked this time and for some strange reason, Lance sucked a breath.

 ** _“It was fine!”_** Lance blurted when Allura asked if everything was alright ** _. “Keith… and the others hung out there today to study.”_**

Lance had hung up after a quick _‘I love you, mom’_ and those three simple words from her son made Allura smile. Now, she was back to kicking overtime’s ass while she typed in a rapid, formal response to the organizers of the charity event. After she hit send, Allura heaved a heavy sigh; she would have to tell Shiro about this so he can decide on an alternative solution.

This little setback can’t be the reason to cancel out the event because it would break the children’s hearts especially that they looked forward to this event. Allura can’t bear to see that and she was sure that Shiro wouldn’t too.

Stretching her stiff back after she stood up and popped the joints on her arms, Allura stepped around and left her station to make her way towards the double black doors that led to her boss’s office. She pulled the royal violet shawl that draped around her shoulders to keep her warm from the winter like AC of the executive floor. Allura decided that after she briefed Shiro about the issue, she would call it a night and head home.

Giving three soft rasps on the polished surface to announce her entrance, Allura stepped inside.

“Shiro, we have a proble---“ Allura immediately halted when she was greeted by the sight in front of her.

Shiro was asleep, his head bent down to lay over his arms that were crossed underneath. There were stacks of papers and folders around him and his pen had rolled off the table to the floor.

There he went again, pushing himself too hard. Allura shook her head slightly, a few silver strands of her black and silver ombre hair escaping the French braid she put it in. On silent feet, she walked towards Shiro and bent to pick up the pen on the floor before she recapped it and placed it on the holder on his desk.

“You poor thing.” Allura whispered softly at the sleeping man. “You need to take care of yourself more.”

Noticing that Shiro didn’t bring his jacket today, Allura removed the shawl around her shoulders, flapped out the blanket like material to make it wider and draped it over Shiro’s shoulders.

Stepping back, Allura studied him; this was the first time she had seen Shiro up close and she saw how handsome he really is. But what tugged something inside Allura was how gentle and peaceful he looked while he slept. It made a small, helpless smile pull up the corners of her lips but then it was gone as soon as Allura caught herself and the strange feelings she felt towards Shiro.

No, she can’t.

Lance would occasionally ask if she was seeing anyone and when Allura would shake her head no, Lance would go on about encouraging her to try and test the waters again. One time, Lance even offered to make Allura a Tinder account but she willingly declined.

Allura had told herself, ‘never again’. She had loved a man before it left her deeply hurt. Indeed, Allura had stood up for herself, faced the trials alone, and made it to where she was today. But the trauma and the scars she was left with were the roots of her reluctance. Besides, didn’t Shiro have another woman in his life; the voice she heard on his end when she called about Keith?

Slowly, Allura lifted her hand and reached towards Shiro. She halted once, her fingers hovering over him reluctantly before she continued and gently ran the tips of her fingers along the black and silver strands of his hair.

This little gesture would be the only luxury Allura would allow herself. She pulled back and silently walked out of the office and away from the beautiful man she knew she can’t allow herself to have.

~o~

However, after the door gave off a soft click after Allura closed it, dark lashes slowly fluttered open.

Shiro slowly lifted his head with Allura’s caring words in his mind and her gentle touch branded on him with warmth. He watched the door where she had left and removed the royal violet shawl Allura had draped over his shoulders.

He decided to take a nap to manage the exhaustion he felt but regained consciousness the moment Allura had stepped into his office. He pretended to sleep anyway so that he would be able to escape whatever work related issue Allura was going to tell him. But then, something else happened. It was a struggle to keep up the sleeping act when his heart was hammering the wall of his chest.

Thinking of the beautiful, wonderful woman who owned this shawl, Shiro’s fingers gently caressed the soft material as he brought it to press against his lips in a gentle kiss.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonds are about to get tested...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter... had more than 40 comments and I'm so flattered and overwhelmed and I want to hug all of your. I hope you all understand that my laptop is not cuddly at all.
> 
> I'm about to write the new arc soon and I hope that you all enjoyed the fluff because nothing lasts forever. New characters will join us on our journey very soon so stay tuned! Again, I'd like to reach out with all my heart to all of your beautiful readers; Thank you very much for your encouragement!

Chapter 15

With a yawn, Keith studied himself at the mirror and ran his long fingers along his thick raven hair. His fingers looped around the smooth satin of his violet tie as he tied it around his neck, not caring if it looked a little crooked. Finally, he slipped on his navy blue uniform jacket that had Altea Prep’s emblem sewn on the breast pocket.

Grabbing his bag by the bed, Keith made his way out of his room and took sure, quick steps down the stairs. He groaned and rubbed the dark circles around his eyes; he didn’t sleep well last night because the nightmare came again. Honestly, one of the many reasons that he gets sent to detention is because he falls asleep in class most of the time. He rarely gets a good night sleep and the only times he can sleep through the night are when he’s exhausted to the bone or drunk. If that latter case is taken into consideration, the last time Keith’s had proper sleep is after Lance had tucked his drunk ass in weeks ago. Keith had been making an effort to get his life back on track along with his grades not only for the Ferrari on Shiro’s end of the bargain, but for himself as well. He needed to prepare to be on his own because when Shiro’s responsibility over him ends next year, he’ll be left on his own with absolutely nothing to his name because he was just a kid Shiro picked up from a homicide scene. For a moment there, he wondered what his newfound friends would think of him when they found out the truth.

And most of all, Keith thought what Lance would think.

Keith dragged himself to the kitchen to get some breakfast but someone had already beat him to it.

Shiro hummed a merry tune, his deep baritone voice filling up the kitchen as he poked and folded scrambled eggs in a weird looking square pan. On the other side of the counter, the Futurama coffee maker beeped to signal that the coffee was ready.

Shiro was in a black shirt, pajama pants, and was barefoot as he moved around the kitchen smoothly. Without a word, Keith placed down his bag by the foot of the table and he took his usual seat. The sound made Shiro look up and greet Keith with a cheerful smile.

“Good morning, Keith.”

The teen’s brows bunched over his eyes as he gave him a look of utter confusion.

“Uhm,” he began and Shiro looked up from the pan he was supervising. “Is it your birthday?”

“No.” Shiro shook his head.

There was already a bowl of rice in front of Keith and a pair of chopsticks resting beside it. “Is it… my birthday?”

This time, Shiro laughed. The sound was so rich and sincere but it threw Keith into deeper confusion. Shiro rarely made breakfast on weekdays because his busy schedule. When Keith started in Altea, Shiro’s schedule also became more hectic. Usually, they would have easy to make meals like eggs and bacon or cereal. When Shiro woke up late, Keith would just call for room service or when the two of them are on the road, they would grab some breakfast burrito.

But this… this was… weird.

“Did you get promoted?” Keith asked this time and the statement made Shiro look over his shoulder.

“I don’t know if there’s anything higher than a CEO’s position, Keith.”

“Well, why are you…” Keith paused and scowled as he tried to look for the right words to say. “…Like some happy romcom dad or something? The only thing you’re missing is a bad dad-joke apron.”

“No reason.” Shiro shrugged. He placed the fat eggroll he had ended up with on a plate before be sliced it to smaller pieces. “Could you take care of the coffee, please?”

“Uh, sure, I guess.” Keith mumbled as he went to the coffee maker and poured the concoction in a black mug. Returning to his seat, Keith placed it on Shiro’s side of the table across him.

“Here you go.” Shiro placed the plate of rolled omelet in the middle of the table along with another plate. “Tamagoyaki and your favorite octopus shaped sausages.”

“Christ, Shiro.” Keith breathed as he stated at the little fried sausages that were cut up to look like tiny octopi. He didn’t remember the last time he had any of those or when Shiro actually made a full breakfast.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro sat down across from where Keith was and picked up his smartphone which was by his plate. He took a sip of coffee and sighed at the welcomed taste that burned in his mouth. “Don’t you love those? You used to pester me every day into cutting up your sausages like that.”

“Like, what, dude?” Keith paused to count with his fingers. “Seven years ago?”

“I think there’s nothing wrong with that.” Shiro said as he scrolled through his emails. He picked up his chopsticks and started to eat his breakfast.

Keith started to eat too. He slowly chewed on his food at first but then he wolfed it all down when he realized how delicious it was. It left him with a wave of nostalgia as glimpses of when he first came into Shiro’s care flashed in his mind. Keith looked around the lavish penthouse kitchen and thought about how different it was compared to Shiro’s old apartment unit in a different city; it still felt surreal for Keith. Shiro’s old place wasn’t dingy and it was actually a pretty decent apartment in a nice neighborhood. Despite coming from a powerful family, Shiro still moved out to find his own place in the world and since his relatives were so fixated on his older brother, Shiro was free to do whatever he wanted.

However, all of that changed when Shiro had gotten a call from his mother who asked him to meet with her and the Shirogane clan lawyers. It had been a shock for Shiro to find out that his older brother died in an accident and without anyone else to succeed as CEO of Voltron Telecommunications, Shiro had to step in for the role even if he was half hearted to do so.

_“Well, Keith,” Shiro had sighed when the two of them first walked through the door of the penthouse many years ago. “This is going to be our new home.”_

The 9 year old Keith back then didn’t say a word as he clutched the straps of his favorite Blue Paladin Space Explorers bag pack and just stared at the big, fancy living space. Keith thought that it was bigger than his old house but he just couldn’t find it in himself to voice out his thoughts.

As a matter of fact, Keith has barely said a word after Shiro carried him out of his old house during the worst day of his life.

“So how are your tutoring sessions with Allura going?” Shiro’s voice interrupted Keith’s swirling thoughts.

“They’re okay.” Keith shrugged. “At least she explains shit better than the teachers at school.”

 “But as an individual, how do you find her?”

Keith lowered his chopsticks and placed them horizontally on top of his bowl to tell that he was done eating. “She’s okay; Allura’s nice and patient.” He paused. “I kind of feel terrible that she has more than a thousand ways to make sure I don’t get away. It’s kind of frustrating.”

 “I guess I hired the right person then. I mean, she’s an amazing secretary too.” Shiro chuckled but Keith noticed a kind of softness in Shiro’s eyes. It wasn’t hard to read Shiro if you know what to look for and Keith’s definitely seeing something new with how Shiro was talking about Allura. “Oh and guess what? Lance told me she goes to a weekend book club and she likes tulips.”

“Oh, yeah?” Shiro was blabbering random information about Allura and Keith wasn’t stupid. He leaned back against his chair and studied Shiro who looked like he was trying to hold back a million different facial expressions while he scrolled through his phone. “I bet you stayed up all night to go through her facebook profile.”

When Shiro snorted and almost choked on the coffee he was sipping on, Keith smirked. “Holy shit, Shiro. Are you fucking kidding me, dude? You’ve got the hots for Lance’s mom?”

Shiro rolled his eyes. “No.” but Keith knew Shiro was lying because the other averted his gaze back to his phone in total avoidance.

“So, I guess it’s safe to assume you’ve stopped fucking Valerie Smith?”

“Keith, could we please not go there?” Shiro frowned with distaste. But Keith fell silent to process the next thing we said.

“Shiro, man to man; go with who you want.” He said in all seriousness. “Not _who_ Kim wants for you. You’re entitled to be with the who you want to be with.”

“I appreciate the dating advice but let’s not bring _her_ into this.” Shiro pursed his lips into a thin line. “It’s not even 7:30 yet; it’s too early to process something like that.” He paused and looked Keith straight in the eye. “But, thank you, Keith.”

However, deep inside, Shiro felt turmoil rise and cloud his mind as his mind and heart fought over what Keith said. He was torn between duty and what he actually wanted.

Keith just nodded and Shiro continued to eat his breakfast. “Hey, Shiro?”

“Yeah?”

Keith took a deep breath and a shadow fell over his eyes. “Did you tell Allura about me?”

If Shiro had told Allura about Keith’s past then it was highly likely that Lance would already know that Keith was a _charity case_. A foundling picked up from a dark, damp basement, walked through a bloody living room, and who Shiro had no relation with whatsoever.

_A nobody._

“If ever I’m going to tell anyone anything, it would be my side of the story about that day.” Shiro replied. “Telling the story of what happened to _you_ in that house is completely up to your discretion. You don’t have to tell anyone unless you’re ready and willing.”

“Okay.”

“And,” Shiro added when he saw an unsure look on Keith’s expression. “What happened to you before doesn’t make you any less of a person, okay? Not everyone survives that but you did, buddy. And that’s something amazing.” A small smile lifted on Shiro’s lips. “I guess you got that stubbornness from Luke.”

“I…I guess I did.” Keith rarely heard his father’s name, but Shiro’s encouragement was sincere. “Thanks, man. That’s actually… really…nice.”

As Shiro finished his coffee, he placed his mug down but noticed that Keith didn’t have a mug with him. “Why didn’t you get yourself some coffee?”

“Nah, it’s cool.” Keith pushed his empty bowl away from him. “I’m going to get coffee later at the café.”

“Going to walk Lance to work?” Shiro teased but Keith rolled his eyes despite heat exploding in his face. “That nerd can walk on his own. I just like the coffee there.”

Lies. They were all lies.

He liked hanging out at the Coffee Nook with Pidge, Hunk, and Shay especially on days when a certain barista was on duty; it was easier to stare at Lance without being caught when the other was busy making coffee with that stupid smile on his face.  And besides, he really wanted to try Lance’s secret menu so he had to collect stamps on his loyalty card.

Of course, Keith wasn’t going to tell that to Shiro.

“Funny, Lance doesn’t like coffee despite working as a barista.” Shiro gathered the plates and placed them in the dishwasher. “He’s not picky with what he does as long as he can somehow help his mother.”

“Really?” Keith’s eye widened at that but secretly noted it in his mind not to give Lance anything coffee related. “He never mentioned anything to me and he looks happy flirting with customers.” There was an edge of irritation on Keith’s tone as he remembered the Garrison student he wordlessly delivered a death threat to with a single look.

“Yeah,” Shiro nodded as he went to retrieve his phone from the table. “But I guess he needed that job so he just went with it. Now go on, you’ll be late.”

Keith picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Could you find it in your heart to give this poor Ducati-less guy a ride to school?”

“Nope.” Shiro replied with a small smile. “I need to get to the office immediately. Allura messaged me that we came across some sudden cancellations for the charity event at Arusian Children’s Hospital tomorrow.”

With a longing sigh that Keith purposely made to sound disappointed he turned around.

“Well, go on, you’ll be late.” Shiro shooed him off with a teasing smile. “Go take the bus.”

“Uhhhhgggg.”

“Maybe you’ll bump into Lance and you guys can go to school together.”

Keith stilled and stared at Shiro. He wordlessly considered that possibility and then, he hurriedly left, leaving Shiro to wonder why the hell Keith suddenly ran out of the door.

Shrugging it off, Shiro  swiped on the screen of his phone to unlock it and minimized his email up. Taking a moment to make a decision, Shiro thought of the violet shawl that was neatly folded in his desk drawer at the office.

But while Shiro was making his way up to his bed room, his phone vibrated in his hand from an incoming call. When he turned his phone to read the name of the caller, he frowned;

Valerie Smith.

When Shiro reached his bed room, he placed his phone on his bed with the speaker muffled against the pillow to block out the sound. It would be too obvious if Shiro hit ‘reject’ so he just let it ring to make Valerie believe that he was too busy to answer the call.

Shiro knew exactly why Valerie was calling him and no, he wasn’t interested. He never was because what they had were casual and with no strings attached but it appeared that Valerie wasn’t getting the message. He thought back to what Keith said about him being with the person _he_ chose and not who was chosen for him.

And Shiro already had his sights set on a certain woman with eyes the color of blue lilacs.

~

Allura had been standing in front of her desk for ten minutes since she had arrived, staring. She felt a lump form in her throat and her heart was racing miles per hour in her chest as she stared at her violet shawl neatly folded on her desk with a single striped tulip placed on to along with a cup of take-out coffee from Le Petit Jardin de Verre.

When she approached it, she saw a small piece of paper by the tulip’s stem with Shiro’s familiar handwriting.

_‘Good morning, thank you for your kindness.’_

Smiling at the adorable gesture, Allura sat down on her chair and gently took the tulip. She ran a finger along the velvety white petals striped with deep red to marvel at it. Allura thought of how peaceful Shiro looked while he slept despite being exhausted and she admired how much hard work and heart he put into doing his job well. However, Allura secretly hoped that Shiro really was asleep and didn’t feel her run her fingers along his hair in a gentle caress.

“I’m sorry to bother you at such short notice, Vicky,” Shiro spoke through the phone with the art student who worked part time at La Petit Jardin de Verre. “But I saw your online portfolio and I’m pretty impressed with your photography skills.”

Shiro stood in front of the large window overlooking the city with his back to the door and his free hand resting casually in his pants pocket. “Yeah? Of course, you’re welcome. You will be duly compensated for your services and I’ll give you full permission to use the photos to add to your portfolio.”

When he heard the door open, Shiro smiled warmly at Allura who stood by the doorway. “Yes, I’ll be at the event tomorrow. Thank you and see you then, Vicky.”

After Shiro hung up and kept the phone in his pocket, Allura took the chance to speak; “Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning.” Shiro nodded, his eyes never leaving hers and the warmth in them drew something strange within Allura that made her breath hitch. “I didn’t know your favorite flower so I went with a safe choice.” He lied. Of course he knew her favorite flower; he didn’t stay up until 1 AM while looking through Allura’s facebook posts about tulips. “Did you like the coffee?”

“Oh, it’s lovely!” Allura blurted out before she reined her self control and cleared her throat. “Thank you, Shiro. You didn’t have to go through the trouble, though.”

“Nonsense.” Shiro just smiled and gestured for Allura to enter instead of just standing by the open doorway. “Please, come in. I’d like to talk to you about something.”

Allura did so and she walked in the office, her heels echoing through the walls. She stopped in front of Shiro who casually leaned against his desk.

“I’ve read your email this morning about the setbacks.” Shiro began. “The photographer is taken care of; Vicky has experience with photography and she has it as an elective this semester so I took her up on an offer.”

“I assume with how your conversation went, she agreed?” There was a small hopeful smile on Allura’s face.

“Yes she did.” Shiro nodded. “However, there’s still the matter about the Story Time event with the kids since the teacher who was supposed to read to them pulled back.”

“I can do it.” Allura beamed and it was so bright that Shiro stared. “I love kids!”

“Perfect!” Shiro exclaimed but out of his excitement, he placed his hands on Allura’s shoulders. He looked at Allura with awe; this woman just kept on surprising him everyday. With one final assuring squeeze on her shoulders, Shiro lowered his hands back to his side.

“Great. Thanks for taking” He smiled and Allura felt warmth bubble in her chest at how charming it was. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, then.”

~

Lance stood in front of his locker with a troubled look on his face. He stared at a message on his phone from an unregistered number.

“Lance!” Pidge called from the end of the hall. Lance then looked up to look at his best friend. “Dude, hurry up, the teacher’s going to be here any minute!”

“Yeah, hold on, I’m coming!” Lance called back with a bright smile that he hoped didn’t look fake. When pidge disappeared down the intersection of the halls leading to their classroom, Lance returned his gaze on his phone screen.

This was obviously just a prank meant to shake up and scare Lance but he wasn’t that kind of person. However, the anonymous message was unsettling enough that it managed to plant seeds of doubt in him. Lance read the short massaged for the tenth time and felt alarms blare in his mind;

**From 555-xxx-xxxx (Fri. 7:30 AM):**

**_KEITH IS JUST USING YOU._ **


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I didn't know I was starving 'til I tasted you,  
> Don't need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo."
> 
> -Starving, Hailee Steinfeld

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm back with the last update for the week! I'd like to thank all of you for the love and support you've all given the story! By the way, I posted Keith's moodboard aesthetic on my tumblr so just dive into the Taking Chances tag. I wasn't able to let you know in the last chapter because that mean anon's text message got my blood boiling too. 
> 
> Anyway, here's the new chapter! I swear, it's work related. Oh, and I may or may have not broken the fourth wall~

Chapter 16

 

_Just…_

“-ance?”

_Just using you._

“La…nce?”

_Keith._

“Lance?”

_Using you._

**Keith is just using you.**

“LANCE!”

 

“Are you okay?” Allura stepped into their small kitchen while Lance was munching on some breakfast with a distant look in his eyes. He had his earbuds plugged in but he wasn’t really paying attention to the Overwatch walkthrough on youtube.

“Oh, yeah, totally, mom.” Lance managed to pick up his cool and he smiled at his mother despite his troubled thoughts.

Buying the lie, Allura nodded and smiled while she spun around. “So, how do I look?” Not too shabby for a fund raising event?”

Allura wore hip hugging jeans, a loose floral summer top, and a mint green cardigan. Lance removed his earbuds and paused his video to look at his mother.

“Hmmmmm….” Lance hummed. He reached up to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You’re absolutely beautiful like me, mom.” Lance grinned and Allura rolled her eyes. “But I think you should braid your hair.”

“Lance, there’s no time.” Allura slightly fretted when she glanced at her watch. “I can’t braid this wild tumble in a matter of minutes! Shiro will be here soon.” frustrated, she ran her fingers along the bold waves of her bleached silver-black hair.

Lance cleared his throat and scoffed. He stood up and grabbed Allura by the wrist to make her sit down. “You seem to be underestimating your son.” He grinned. “I’ll make you into a head turner like yours truly.”

When he got bored of his toys when he was younger, Lance would often play with his mother’s hair. At first, he just brushed it but he realized that he was unsatisfied with just that. So he started to watch youtube videos on how to braid hair and he often practiced on Allura.

Lance’s fingers weaved skillfully along the silvery black strands and he worked from the top down but while he did, he idly started a conversation to mend the silence between them;

“So,” Lance began, his tone light. “Are you going to tell me who gave you the flower?”

Allura’s eyes immediately fell on the single white tulip striped with red that was in a thin, champagne flute like vase in the middle of their small dining table. “I just found it on my table.”

“It’s from Shiro, isn’t it?”

“Just a thank you gift.” She shrugged and behind him, Lance snorted in disbelief.

“Uh, right, mom.” He said but he wore a smug smile. “Nice try.”

“It’s true!” Allura’s tone became defensive but she could feel heat bloom on her face.

“And I bet this is a working ‘date’ too~”

“Lance, I don’t like your tone!”

“Don’t ‘mom’ me, _mom_!” Lance continued to braid the thick silk of his mother’s hair. “You and Shiro have great chemistry.”

But deep inside, Lance could feel more storm clouds fog the sunshine he usually felt. He was happy for his mother and glad that she was finally somewhat considering to step out of her bitter reluctance to test the waters of dating again…

If Lance wasn’t already falling for Keith.

If Shiro and Allura pushed through, wouldn’t this make him and Keith step-brothers? However, if Allura found her happiness with Shiro, Lance was more than willing to nip the tip of the budding feelings he was starting to feel for Keith, even if it broke something in him and cost him his own happiness.

Because he loved Allura too.

But would it be even right to let himself fall for Keith after that anonymous text message planted seeds of doubt? Lance knew that it was best to confront Keith about this because he was his friend and it would be best to tell the others too because Lance hated starting complications in his group. He just wanted everyone to be happy.

“Lance?” Allura asked when her son suddenly got too quiet from the relentless teasing he was just getting into. “Are you sure you’re alright, sweetheart?”

“Yup, just concentrating.” Putting a few more pins and finishing the look by placing a black satin headband on the crown of Allura’s head, the teen finally stepped back to study his handiwork.

“Viola!” Lance grinned at his mother who looked at herself on the hand mirror her son passed to her. “I call it, the Lance Braid!”

“This is a French braid, dear.” Allura smiled hopelessly at how adorable Lance looked at his achievement.

“No, it’s a _Lance_ braid.” He pointed at a weave at the side of Allura’s head that had a unique pattern to it. “See?”

“Oh, I see.” Allura admired the pattern along her skull with the tips of her fingers. “Thank you, sweetie. It would be unfortunate if all this hair got in the way while I work.” she finally stood up and slung her handbag over her shoulder. “Are you going out today?”

Lance leaned against the table and picked up his phone from where he placed it down. “No. It’s going to be R and R for me today. I’m on sequence 8 on AC Brotherhood then maybe I’ll go to the park to skate--“

He paused when his phone suddenly vibrated and he swiped to read the message.

**From KEITH WTF (Sat, 8:57 AM):**

**What r u doing 2day?**

Lance felt his cheeks begin to burn and it was annoying that he always felt like that, especially after Keith pulled that stunt at the Coffee Nook. Damn, Kyle would not let him live it down and she started calling Keith Lance’s ‘Boyfie’.

He quickly typed;

**To KEITH WTF (Sat, 8:58 AM):**

**Game then maybe skate. Why?**

**From KEITH WTF (Sat, 9:00 AM):**

**Cool. Wanna hang?**

 

“Lance?” Allura had a look of concern on her face as she studied Lance who was starting to breathe unevenly. “I’m starting to get worried about you.”

“I’m really fine, mom.” Came the forced and nervous reply. “Keith’s just asking if I wanted to hang out, that’s all.”

“Oh, alright then.” Lance fought back a sigh of relief when Allura didn’t notice that he was practically fighting tooth and nail for air. “You boys have fun.”

After a shaky chuckle, Lance started at the empty message box that patiently waited for his reply. He had no fucking idea why Keith did that kind of display at the Coffee Nook, but one thing was for sure, Kyle gave him her shit eating grin every  chance she got. Taking a deep breath, Lance typed;

**To KEITH WTF (Sat, 9:02 AM):**

**Sure dude.**

**From KEITH WTF (Sat, 9:03 AM):**

**Good. I’m outside.**

Lance and Allura both felt their hearts leap to their throats when they heard a familiar honk outside. Striding to the window, Allura pulled back the curtains and they saw a Shiro’s white Audi parked across the street from their apartment building. Just then, Keith came out of the passenger’s side and Lance made an inhuman noise that resembled a broken trumpet and a dying goat. Then, Keith opened the back passenger door, pulled out a guitar bag, and slung the strap across his shoulder.

“Well, that’s my queue to leave.” Allura took a deep breath and kissed Lance on the cheek. “No parties and not too much noise, okay? You know how grumpy the neighbors could get. Here.” She fished out a few dollars from her bag and handed them to Lance while the two of them were subconsciously leaving their apartment and into the common hallway that led to the front door.

“Get some pizza and make sure to dispose the trash in the right bin, okay?”

“Okay, okay!” There was panic in Lance’s voice as he thought of Keith crossing the street and heading right for the front door.

“Emergency numbers are on the fridge,” it was like Allura didn’t hear him as she continued. “Leftover lasagnas is in the yellow Tupperware beside the---“

“Okay, mom, I know!” Lance was low key starting to push Allura out. “You’ll be late, Shiro’s---“ When he opened the front door, he was greeted by dark and oddly, tired, violet eyes framed behind raven bangs.

“Holy shi--- Keith! Hey, man, ‘sup?” Lance tried to play it cool and leaned against the doorframe.

“Hi.” Keith looked at Lance with confusion as to why Lance looked pale and red at the same time. “Are you oka---“

“I’m fine!” Lance laughed but sweat beaded on his forehead and he gave Keith his trademark charismatic look which made Keith quirk an eyebrow at the other teen. “Mom gave some cash for pizza, we can play co-op if you want, and I’m heading to the park this afternoon to skate.” He babbled incoherently. “Ohheywouldyoulookatthat! You brought your guitar!”

“Uh, yeah.” Keith shrugged. He needed a change of scenery and by scenery, he wanted to see Lance. “Mind if I practice some songs?”

“Not at all, dude.”

Keith nodded and turned to greet his tutor. “Hey, Allura.” he rocked back and forth on his heels slightly. “I know it’s work, but hey, have fun.” He motioned at the handsome man in the Audi across the street.

“Shiro’s all yours.”

“O-Oh,” Allura felt the words become trapped in her throat. “Well, you boys have fun.”

Shiro waved at Lance from where he was parked and Lance waved back and grinned while he watched his mother cross the street and get into the shotgun seat. With a parting honk, Shiro drove away and Allura blew Lance a kiss.

He watched in silence as the car disappeared down the street until he was interrupted.

“So…” Keith said from beside him. “Where’s your PS4?”

“Inside, why?” Lance asked, having forced himself to calm down as he took in Keith’s appearance in casual clothes. He always saw him in their uniform so whenever Keith was in normal clothes, Lance always got this weird feeling of denial about how good looking Keith was.

“Because I’m going to kick your ass too.” Keith replied with a small challenging smirk on his lips.

“Oh, yeah?” Lance narrowed his blue eyes from behind his glasses.

“Yeah, nerd.”

“Bring it on, McMullet.”

~

The trip to the Arusian Children’s Hospital was a good hour ride from where Allura lived. There was silence between them but it was the comfortable kind. Allura did break the silence once or twice while Shiro drove on the freeway.

“I’m a little nervous.” She said and Shiro briefly glanced at him from behind his sunglasses. Allura watched the passing scenery outside the window and her fingers twiddled with the strap of her handbag. “But I’m excited to read and play with the children.”

“I guess having a teenage son makes you miss the old days?” Shiro asked with a light tone. They took an exit and Shiro sped up again, the car’s engine revving smoothly.

“Yeah, I guess.” She replied with a smile. “Lance was a handful but he’s a wonderful child. He really loved watching Space Explorers on Saturday mornings.” She chuckled at the memory. “He would even wake up before me.”

“Space Explorers?” Shiro repeated, poking around his memory. Then, he remembered with a small frown. It was that song Keith kept singing while he carried him out through a bloody living room.

 _“Keep your eyes closed, Keith.”_ Whispered the memories that Shiro wished he never had. _“Keep singing.”_

“Ah, the one about the paladins who rode around in that robot thing to save the day?” Shiro managed to regain a casual tone. “They live in a flying castle and that hot princess drives.”

“Excuse me,” Allura laughed at Shiro’s comment and the sound was so musical that he cracked a grin. “That _hot_ princess happens to be _my_ favorite character.”

“Oh yeah?” Shiro chuckled. “Well, I like the guy in black. I think he was their leader.”

“I like him too.”

As the scenery outside became more familiar to Allura, she realized that they were nearing the hospital when she saw colorful sign boards along the shops that pointed towards the hospital’s direction to invite people to the fund raising fair.

“Did you watch it with your little boy, too?” Allura asked and the strange thing about it is that the question was so innocent.

“Oh, yeah.” Shiro forced out with an edge of discomfort. “Keith loved that blue paladin. I got him a replica of that guy’s rifle back then and I think he still has it until now.”

“Lance adored the one in red.” Allura followed in suit. “He actually did his chores willingly and he made me pay him a dollar for his ‘services’ at the end of every week so he can buy the red paladin sword with the money he earned.” A soft laugh escaped her and Shiro felt himself smile. “Lance would fall asleep while hugging that sword that I had to pry it from him.”  

Finally, they arrived at the hospital complex and they were greeted with streamers and balloons that hung on the lamp posts and trees. There were already a lot of people in attendance waiting for the booths to open and the two of them spotted the children who were residents of the hospital.

The place was just so uplifting that Allura wasn’t even aware that she was grinning. However, when Shiro saw the light in her beautiful eyes, he felt something within him stir into life. Finally, they pulled over in a parking lot and they both got out of the car.

“I have to give a short speech and meet some people.” Shiro said as he locked the car and removed his sunglasses to hook them on the collar of his white short sleeved polo shirt.

“Do you need me?” Allura asked and trailed her eyes up Shiro’s to meet his dark slanted gaze.

 _‘I do.’_ He thought to himself. But when he caught his thoughts wander towards the other possible meaning of that phrase, he shook his head and smiled; “I’ll let you know. But right now, just do the story telling to the children.”

Allura nodded and turned to leave to look for the designated room where she would be with the children group she was assigned with. Suddenly, Shiro reached forward and grasped her hand;

“And Allura?”

She turned around, the skin of her hand burning where Shiro had touched her. She felt her heart kick in her chest and she swallowed a breath.  “Yes?”

“I know this is work,” Shiro cleared his throat and pulled back his hand. He looked like he lost a little composure with the way her eyes focused on him. “But have fun, alright?”

“Alright.” Allura smiled and left Shiro who still stared.

~

Allura had never been so happy being surrounded by little children. She felt nostalgic from when the time she worked at a day care when she was new in the city. Allura had read two stories for them and an encore on Sleeping Beauty, so that made it three.

After the story time with the kids was done, Allura was basically free to do whatever she wished unless Shiro called for her. It was actually nice that Allura even made friends with some kids but there was one little girl with a cast on her arm that always followed her around. It wasn’t long when Allura realized that there were more kids tagging along with her before the small group dragged her out to an open area at the back so they could play monkey in the middle.

Allura, of course, was the monkey who purposely kept missing the ball so the kids could have fun in their triumph. She missed this; being surrounded by children and laughing with them.

Ever since Lance grew up, she had to adjust to his changing hobbies. But while Allura played and laughed with the children, she noticed that the little girl with the cast on her arm was missing.

“Where’s Jenny?” Worried, Allura stepped away from the other four who were still too distracted with the ball while she went to look for the little girl. She then heard a familiar giggle and she followed the sound, only to be greeted by a sight that made her heart melt.

Shiro was knelt before Jenny with his hands in front of him. The little girl watched attentively as Shiro wiggled his fingers and waved them in the air. Curiosity getting the best of her, Allura leaned against the trunk of a tree with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Are you ready?” Shiro asked with a smile on his handsome face and Jenny nodded eagerly. “Alright… One, two, three… Oh, look, what’s that!” Shiro suddenly pointed up towards the sky and Jenny craned her head up, her big green eyes glistening at the glare of the sun.

While the kid was distracted, Allura quirked an eyebrow when she caught Shiro quickly fish out something from his pocket and hid it within his clenched fist.

“I didn’t see anything.” Jenny looked confused and her lips fell into a pout.

“Are you sure?” Shiro asked.

Jenny nodded. “Yes. What did you want me to see?”

Shiro answered by reaching behind Jenny’s ear with something hidden between his fingers and he magically ‘pulled out’ a piece of chocolate from the girl.

“Tadaaa~” Shiro sang out while Jenny gaped but carefully took the candy with her good hand.

“Wow.” She breathed. “How did you do that?”

“Magic.” Shiro grinned while he wiggled his fingers for effect and Jenny giggled gleefully. Allura however, snorted at Shiro’s adorable effort which appeared to have worked with the little girl. The sound she made Shiro jump up to his feet and Jenny turned around.

“Allura!” Jenny waved with her good hand that was still holding the chocolate. In return, Allura waved back and pushed off from where she leaned against the tree.

“There you are.” She said when she finally reached where Jenny stood with Shiro. “Your friends were looking for you.”

“Shiro was doing magic.” Jenny explained. “Did you see? Did you see?” she turned into an excited ball of energy and her pigtails bounced along as well.

“I did.” Allura gave Shiro a knowing look and Shiro shrugged at her with a goofy smile. “I… was speechless.”

Allura felt warmth in her heart at the sight of how good Shiro was with kids. Despite the trick being lame, she can’t help but smile about it.

“Hey, it’s not my fault I have magical fingers.” Shiro beamed but then, paused. He paled when he realized that there was another meaning to what he said and he wanted to slap himself on the forehead for saying something like that in the presence of a little girl. Obviously, the Jenny didn’t understand, but then again there’s Allura… who stared at him.

Shiro cleared his throat and looked away. Allura, who clearly saw through the double meaning, looked away and pretended to be interested in something else while the area over her dark cheek burned into a shade of pink. Fortunately, Jenny’s cheerful innocence saved the conversation;

“Maybe pretty lions on your arm are magic!” She reached up and patted Shiro’s right arm, her tiny fingers running over the colors of his tattoos. “I’ll put drawings on my arm too when it gets better.”

“Alright, when it gets better.” Shiro chuckled with a nod and reached over to pat the top of the little girl’s head.

“Come on,” Allura bent to open her arms in which the five year old willingly stepped into. “Let’s go back. Your friends might be wondering where you went.”

Allura carefully carried Jenny in her arms and Shiro watched them while he felt a warm tug in his chest at the lovely sight of Allura being all motherly to a child.

~

Allura and Shiro wandered around the fair while they browsed at the goods being sold and the games being played.

“I think this fund raiser is a success.” Shiro casually strolled beside Allura.. “I always like going to these kinds of events.” He paused. “I wish Keith would give it a try,” he shook his head. “But he’s not into crowds so I guess it’s a no.”

“Well, he’s spending time with Lance so that’s a start.” Allura took a deep breath, glad for the warm sun on her skin. “Will there be other events like this? Maybe Lance would like to come too.”

“Maybe the company will sponsor another event this coming Christmas.” Shiro replied. Lance and Keith were welcomed to come along, but he can’t help but feel a bit hesitant about bringing the boys along since he enjoyed spending time with Allura. Secretly, Shiro did prefer it if he can spend moments like this alone with Allura.

They passed by a booth filled with stuffed toy prizes that hung on display. Allura stopped in front of it to inspect the prices but then one caught her attention.

“Oh, that lion looks adorable.” Unconsciously, she voiced out her thoughts and Shiro followed her gaze to see what she was talking about; a black stuffed lion with cute yellow eyes.

“It’s the main prize, miss!” The stall keeper was a friendly old man with a silly top hat. He then pointed at five cans set at the far back. “You have to shoot all those cans in fifteen seconds.”

“fifteen seconds, are you serious?” Allura scowled. That wouldn’t be even enough time for her to get her aim straight.

“Here, let me.” Shiro suddenly stepped in and handed the stall keeper some cash to pay for the game.

“Good luck!” the man cheerfully said and handed Shiro one of those carnival pellet pistols to shoot with. Allura stood aside and watched how Shiro expertly held the pistol like he was so used to using it. Then she remembered; Shiro was well accustomed with the real thing because he used to be a police officer.

It didn’t take Shiro long to find his aim and with smooth precision, he pulled the trigger and fired five times. The cans shot back one by one with just one pellet before the timer went off and Allura gaped, clearly impressed at Shiro’s marksmanship. The stall keeper removed his hat and combed his fingers over his thinning hair, clearly amazed as well.

Reaching for the black lion stuffed toy, he handed it to Shiro. “I must say, lad, that was impressive! Here you go, a gift for your lady!”

“Uhm…” Shiro became flustered at the man’s assumption. “We’re not---“ he mumbled but the stall keeper had already gone into the back to put in new cans. Shiro just cleared his throat and handed the prize to Allura with a smile on his face.  “Here, this is for you, Allura.”

“Oh, uh…” Allura bit her lower lip as she took the adorable black lion. She felt giddy like a teenage girl and she secretly admitted that she doesn’t remember the last time that she felt that way. “Thank you, Shiro.”

“It’s nothing.”

Suddenly, the two of them were distracted when they heard the click of a shutter and they turned towards the direction of the sound. Purple hair afire under the glare of the sun, Vicky lowered the DSLR camera from her face and grinned at them.

“Hello, Vicky.” Allura beamed when she saw the familiar face. Vicky nodded in greeting and said;

“Hi, Allura, nice lion you have there.” And she smiled smugly at Shiro.

Lowering her gaze to look into those adorable yellow eyes that peered out of the dark synthetic fur of the toy, Allura patted its head; “Shiro was nice enough to win it for me. You should have seen it, he’s an amazing shot!”

“Nah, I’m not, really.” Shiro flashed a quick smile and his cheeks tinted red in flustered embarrassment. “I was just lucky.”

“I did give him lucky breadsticks.” Vicky teased knowingly after she saw the man give Allura the toy he’d won for her. Shiro frowned at Vicky to keep it down since Allura could hear but the teenager just shrugged. “Hey, it will be your breadsticks on the line.”

“What are you two talking about?” Allura’s smile was confused. “Are you hungry, Shiro? Do you want breadsticks?”

Shiro groaned when Vicky burst out laughing and patted him on the shoulder as she continued to take pictures of the event to compile later into a portfolio. “See you later, old man.”

“So, if you’re hungry, we can go get something.” Allura offered kindly. “I saw some hotdogs there, I can get some.”

“Maybe in a little bit.” Shiro replied while he started to look around again. They halted in their steps when a group of kids scrambled between them and disappeared in the crowd.

“Step right up and win the top prize!”

A gruff voice hollered over the lively air of the fair grounds. Shiro and Allura became curious and approached the stall.

“Slam the hammer and hit the bell! You’ll win this two litter jar of blueberry jam! This beauty is made by the locally famous granny Bree from her arsenal of secret jam recipes and it won the blue ribbon prize at the Arusian County Fair last week!”

Shiro stilled and stared at the big jar of his favorite flavor displayed with a blue ribbon award taped on the lid. He’ll just have to slam that big hammer and hit the bell, right? Easy. No matter what happened, Shiro needed to get his hands on that blue ribbon blueberry jam like his life depended on it.

“I’d like to try.” Shiro’s eyes widened when Allura shoved the black lion for him to hold and slid some cash on the counter to pay for her turn.

The man eyed Allura with a doubtful look in his round face and chuckled, thinking that there was no way Allura could hit the landing pad hard enough for the weight to hit the bell.

“Hammer’s all yours, ‘lil lady! Try as much as you want~” He gestured for Allura to step on the platform. Allura on the other hand, caught the tone of belittling amusement in the man’s words.

“Allura, I can---“ But Allura held up a hand to silence Shiro and ignored her boss as she stepped past him. With utmost focus, she gripped the large hammer and planted her feet apart from each other before she bent her knees slightly.

As Allura breathed, she lifted the hammer over her head and with all the strength and power she had gathered from every fiber of her being, she slammed it on the pad. Shiro’s face fell into a gape filled with awe as the metal weight shot up from the bottom and hit the bell with a loud clang.

Releasing her grip from the hammer, Allura confidently strutted towards the stall’s counter where the man stared at her with wide, almost terrified eyes.

“I’ll take the jam, please.” Allura smiled sweetly at him but her eyes burned like lilac flames while she stared deep into his soul after she proved him wrong. The man handed the big jar of blueberry sweetness to her; “Thank you very much, sir.”

She went back to rejoin Shiro but she stopped in front of him and her eyebrows bunched over her eyes in question; “What?”

Shiro, who was gaping like a fish out of water, snapped his mouth shut and reminded himself to breathe. He shook his head; “Allura, that was... I… How did you do that?”

“Carrying heavy trays of food and groceries changes you forever, Shiro.” Allura replied with a carefree shrug. “Besides, this ‘lil lady wanted to shove those words back in that man’s mouth.” She then placed the big jar in Shiro’s hands while she took her lion back. “Here you go. This is for you.”

“Thank you very much.” Shiro sounded so delighted that it made Allura beam as well. “This is…wow.” He was sure that Keith was going to question why they have a half a year supply of blueberry jam but that really didn’t matter. Blueberry jam is blueberry jam and Shiro was obsessed with blueberry.

As they resumed strolling around, Allura studied the black lion in her hands and noted how those cute yellow eyes stared at her. First it was a bag of coffee, then a flower, and now a plushie; was it right to accept these when Allura clearly knew that there were boundaries she could not cross? She couldn’t help but wonder why Shiro didn’t see them as the voice of the woman who she heard on his end of the line haunted Allura’s thoughts.

“Is something wrong?” Shiro’s voice speared through her thoughts. “You look troubled. Don’t you like the lion?”

“Huh?” Allura glanced up. “No, I absolutely like it, don’t get me wrong.”

“Are you feeling sick?” Shiro frowned and Allura felt like she wanted to reach forward and rub away the creased lines on the between Shiro’s eyes.

Allura shook her head. “Just thinking.”

However, Shiro noticed how she was looking thoughtfully at the lion toy and knew from the look on her face that she was reluctant. Suddenly, Shiro stopped in his steps and took a deep sigh. Allura stopped as well and looked over to him.

“Shiro?” she asked.

“Allura,” Shiro began. “I’m pretty sure it’s the lion.” He paused and shoved one hand to rest casually in his pants pocket. “What’s wrong?”

If he was going to be this stubborn about it, Allura might as well tell him; “Shiro, why are you spoiling me with this little gifts? I mean,” Allura pressed her lips into a thin line, thinking if she should continue. “I don’t want _her_ to get the wrong idea.”

After Allura’s voiced out her worry, Shiro blew out a breath and spoke;

“That night when Lance found Keith at the park and you called me in Toronto, the one I was with? It was a casual thing.” He finally said and Allura just stared. “I’m sorry that I put you in a really awkward situation there.”

Awkward? Hell yeah, Allura felt awkward back then. It felt like she walked in on them and she had to slowly back away, close the door and pretend that she didn’t see anything. However, what Shiro just told her cleared so many things out.

“So that wasn’t Keith’s mother?” Allura found herself asking and Shiro pressed his lips into a thin line before his gaze fell thoughtfully on the big jar of blueberry jam that he cradled with one arm.

“Keith’s mother is gone.”

Allura felt her heart drop at the revelation but nothing prepared her for what Shiro said next.

“She was killed with her husband who also happened to be my best friend when someone broke into their home. Keith was only eight when it happened.” He paused to take a moment to close his eyes to try and block the heartbreaking memory that played in his mind;

 

_“Hyuna!” Shiro’s voice was wracked with the sobs that he tried to hold back. This was not the time to break down because he was on duty. But it was so hard since he held the woman who held his heart back then. “Hyuna, stay with me, come on. The medics---“_

_“Shi-ro…” Hyuna’s breaths were shallow now while she bled from the bullet wound on her stomach. She had been so brave to fight off the intruder so that he wouldn’t reach her son. “K-Keith…Basement. Please…”_

_Shiro nodded. “I’ll go get him, you can’t… Hyuna, no… please, no.”_

_Hyuna smiled at him and she reached out and placed a cold, bloody hand on Shiro’s damp cheek. Lucas’s lifeless body laid on the pool of his own blood and it was so heartbreaking for Shiro to see his best friend like that but it was even more painful for him that the woman he had loved for so long laid dying in his arms._

_“Thank… you.” Hyuna sucked in a breath and her eyes that resembled Keith’s slowly fluttered close. “I’m sorry, we n-never worked out. I’m not…the one meant to make you happy…”_

“You mean to tell me---“ Allura paused when Shiro just nodded his head.

“Keith isn’t my son.”

And in that moment Allura felt her heart break for Keith’s sake. It could be the reason why Keith liked to rebel and cause trouble; he was lonely. However, Keith’s changed these past few weeks; he smiled more, he put in effort in his studies, he’s immersed himself in Lance’s group and he’s been staying out of trouble.”

However, Shiro really didn’t understand what pushed him to tell Allura the truth between him and Keith. In fact, despite the very few people who automatically knew about it, Allura was the only one who fell outside that circle and she didn’t appear scandalized about it. Shiro actually saw emotion in her eyes that told him that she can be trusted.

Shiro had received cruel judgement and disappointment from people who only cared about his last name but the cruelest words came from _her_. Shiro could still remember the sharp words she had told him when she flew in from outside the country to visit **not** him, but the company and his older brother.

 

_“Why would you waste precious time, effort, and resources on that urchin, Takashi? You’ve already deviated from your late father’s wishes and became a police officer, now this? We are a proud family who runs a multimillion dollar business, NOT an orphanage.”_

_“Because it is the right thing to do, mother.”_

 

 “Allura?” Shiro broke the silence between them and Allura looked up to meet his dark gaze.

“Hm?” Even after that revelation, she still smiled at him and something stirred in Shiro’s heart as he was captivated by the pureness of it.

“I would really appreciate it if you didn’t tell Lance about this.” Shiro said. “I’ve told my own view of it, but let Keith tell his side to Lance out of his own free will when he’s ready. What happened to him in there is not my story to tell.”

“Of course.” Allura agreed. “I respect that. Thank you for trusting me with, Shiro.”

It was like the bond between them got a little deeper with Shiro entrusting such sensitive information to Allura and he was glad that the revelation did not spark any negative reaction from her because honestly, Shiro and Keith had enough.

“You’re so selfless. Not everyone would take in someone like Keith.” She let her eyes lock with Shiro’s and there was sincerity in them; “You’re wonderful.”

Shiro felt warmth flutter in his chest and his heartbeat sped in while he felt a smile lift on his face at what Allura said to him.

“Allura,” he breathed and he slightly bit his lower lip to as he decided whether to tell her because in all honesty, she deserved to know how beautiful she really is. “I…well, I was wondering…”

“Yes?” Shiro felt his breath hitch in his throat when he met those bright blue lilac eyes that sent heat on his face and robbed him off words. Out of being flustered, Shiro motioned at the blueberry jam he was carrying. “Would you make that blueberry cheesecake again? I love…” he gulped. “Your cooking.”

 _‘Goddammit, Shiro, **really**? That’s the best thing you can come up with?’_ He thought in vain. _‘No, just…No.”_

But it was like the world stopped when Allura burst out into laughter and it was so contagious that Shiro felt a chuckle escape from him too.

“Sure, why not?” Allura replied and Shiro caught the sight of her biting her plump lower lip as she lowered her gaze to look at the black lion he had won for her. “I’ll even put in extra blueberries for you.”

An independent single mother, an effective secretary, a secret powerhouse, a kind and caring golden soul who had given him this coveted, two liter jar of blueberry jam…

 _‘Fuck.’_ Shiro thought to himself as Allura towed him to the cart that sold those crazy toppings-filled hotdog buns. _‘She’s perfect.’_

The time they’re having right now was work related, but Shiro was definitely going to make up for that.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They had a bonding moment, they held each other in their arms....
> 
> After they had a duet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE JUST HIT MOTHERFRICKING 11k HITS AND 970ish KUDOS ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? What's next, fanart? You readers are giving so much overwhelming support! Also funfact, I am posting this update at like 5 AM in my timezone because of reasons. 
> 
> Anyway, I think this chapter is important because of the key developments. 
> 
> Hurt, comfort, and _her_
> 
> THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Please let me know what you think!
> 
> A/N: Song and lyrics are by Make Out Monday. Also, Lance's and Keith's VA's are amazing singers and this chapter may or may not be a longing desire for a Voltron musical episode. (I'M LOOKING AT YOU, CREATORS)

Chapter 17

**Meanwhile…**

_“Keith, we’re going to play hide and seek, okay?” his mother smiled at him and cupped his chubby cheeks. “Don’t come out until Shiro finds you.” With her thumbs, she wiped away the terrified tears that trickled down from Keith’s eyes. “Do you understand? Shiro is on his way and he’ll be the one to find you. After he finds you, you win the game.”_

_“Yes, mommy.” The small Keith squeaked. “Where’s dad?”_

_His mother stilled before she made a choking sound as she strangled a sob that tried to escape her throat. She then leaned in to press her sweat laden forehead against Keith’s, her ebony hair sticking on her pasty skin._

_“Daddy’s…sleeping.” She whispered. “So you have to be very quiet.”_

_“The bad man…”_

_“The bad man won’t hurt you, I promise.” His mother gave a sad smile when Keith reached to wipe more of the tears with the back of his hand._

_“What about you?” Keith asked, his dark amethyst eyes wide._

_“I’m tired so I’m going to go to bed with daddy.” Hyuna Kogane cooed before she leaned in to press a long lingering kiss on Keith’s wet cheek. Keith knew that something was wrong and his mother jolted and pulled back once they heard heavy footsteps that came from the living room._

_“Be brave.”_

_Keith was too terrified to speak now but he nodded. His mother smiled at him and it was bright like the sun. “Now, cover your ears and close your eyes. Sing the Space Explorers theme song over and over again until Shiro gets here.”_

_The child obeyed and did what he was asked. The last thing Keith remembered before he closed his eyes was his mother walking away from him with his father’s pistol in her hand. The basement door shut closed, bathing Keith in darkness. Slowly, his fear engulfed him and he was hit with the bitter realization that his mom had to go back up there and do something about the man that broke into their house or else he’ll find them._

**_We are space explorers,_ **

**_And we need space._ **

**_We’ll defend the universe,_ **

**_Against the evil race!_ **

**_We are paladins, yeah!_ **

****

_Keith sang louder but not too much since he knew that he wasn’t supposed to be found by anyone but Shiro. He pressed his small hands against his ears to block out the sounds of overturning furniture and breaking plates. He believed in his mom; she was strong and his dad taught her how to use a gun so she can keep their family safe. Everything will be alright._

**_We are space explorers,_ **

**_And we need space._ **

**_We’ll defend the universe,_ **

**_Against the evil race!_ **

**_We are paladins, yeah!_ **

****

**_We are paladins…_ BANG BANG!**

****

“Keith?” Lance’s voice pulled him out of the memories that played like a soundless movie in his mind. “Hey, man. You’re just… standing there.”

“What?” Keith asked, lifting his hooded gaze to look at the bespectacled teen who sat at the foot of the bed while Keith laid on his belly, the PS4 controller limp and forgotten in his grasp.

“You’re spacing out, man.” Lance frowned and pushed up his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He gestured at a co op game they were playing together and Keith’s character was just standing there behind a stack of barrels. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Keith yawned and turned towards the opposite direction so Lance doesn’t have to see him rub his tired eyes. He barely got any sleep last night because the fucking nightmare visited him again. “Just tired.”

Pausing the game and lowering his own controller, Lance faced Keith from where he sat on the floor. “Did something happen?”

“No.” Keith replied as he ran his fingers through his raven hair. “Restart the game, I’m not done kicking your ass with a high body count.”

Lance however, didn’t appear to buy Keith’s excuse. This was the third time Keith had spaced out and there was one time that he almost fell asleep. He shook his head and half glared at Keith with a stern look in his blue eyes. “Forget the ass kicking for now, you look like you didn’t get a minute of sleep.”

“I got two hours, does that count?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Well, fuck.” Keith shrugged. “Too bad. Now play it.”

Lance was quiet for a moment while he studied Keith; there were deep bags underneath his eyes and he yawns at least twice every sixty seconds. So what he did was that he aborted the game and turned off the gaming console.

“What the actual fuck, Lance?” Keith asked, baffled. “Why did you do that?”

“You know what, Keith?” Lance grinned at the dark haired teen. “I’m sleepy too. I want to take a nap.”

“What are you, five?” Keith placed the controller down in the floor and rolled on his back on Lance’s bed. “You’re just scared that I’d beat you.”

Lance snorted and rolled his eyes. “Right. Says the guy who just stands there in the middle of enemy crossfire.” He took his phone from where he left it beside the TV and attached at aux chord to it in a set of speakers.

“Besides, I want to get some Zs before I skate this afternoon. Pidge’s gonna meet me at the park and they’re going to bring Rover.” Lance felt a tinge of excitement at the anticipation of playing with Rover, the Holt Family’s chocolate Labrador. Lance then started to scroll through his playlists and hit one that was titled ‘Beauty Sleep’.

Keith felt groaned when some soft instrumental bossa nova started to play and it was the same one that sometimes played at the Coffee Nook.

“Scoot so I can lie down.”

Keith did so and made room for Lance who freely dropped his head on the pillow. Lance on the other hand, turned his back towards Keith and stared at the blinds he had shut earlier. Before, he wouldn’t be caught dead hanging out with Keith like this, must less actually taking a nap in bed.

Together.

Deep inside, Lance felt awkward that he was laying in bed in his own room with Keith beside him. He had disregarded the anonymous text since there was no follow message but there was still that small suspicious voice in the back of his mind.

The two of them didn’t say anything and the only sound in the room was the song softly playing on the speakers. Keith stared at the ceiling, unmoving and his body felt like lead at the awkwardness between them. His eyes trailed to the side and studied the other teen with his back turned to him then noticed the dimness of the room.

Keith hated the dark.

He was terrified of it.

Before, he was totally fine by it until the fucked up night that he was forced to hide in the basement of his house to stay alive. He had no idea why he had to do it that time, but he knew that _he had to_. His pupils were wide that the violet irises were almost hollow, his breaths were quiet gasps, his small voice hushed as he hummed, and the gunshots. It’s always the gunshots that woke him in the middle of the night with cold sweat all over his body and his lips parted in a silent scream.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he sat up, grabbed his guitar that was propped up against the nightstand and sat up to lean on the headboard. Keith then started to play some chords to accompany the song that was playing from Lance’s phone.

Lance turned around to watch Keith who appeared to look focused on the task at hand but he looked like he was struggling with finding the right chords to match the song. Wordlessly, Lance reached for his phone and paused the music.

“You have a habit of interrupting me, Lance.” Keith frowned. “If you don’t like it just say so, no need to be fucking rude.”

“You’re playing off key.” Lance sat up and he didn’t back off from the looming hostility that was present in Keith’s tone.

“I’m trying to learn the chords.”

“Why not just play something you like?” Lance asked and he crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t really mind, you know.”

But Keith just stayed still while his fingers rested on top of the strings of his guitar. He was tired but he didn’t want to go to sleep even if he knew that his body crave the nap Lance offered. So, what he did was that he started to play.

Lance recognized the intro chords immediately and he perked up. “Jersey by Make Out Monday?”

“Yeah.”

“I love that song!”

“Really?” Keith’s brows listed in wonder while scooted nearer with his legs crossed.

“Yeah.” Lance nodded. “Could you play it for me?” then he caught himself and reached to scratch the back of his head in awkwardness. “I-I mean, if t’s cool with you. It’s a free country.”

After he took a moment to take in how Lance watched him with anticipation in his eyes, Keith bit his lower lip. “Do you want me to sing?”

“If you want to.” Lance breathed out, amazed with Keith’s talent.

“Don’t tell the others, okay?”

Ah, so Keith is shy about it. But for some reason, Lance felt special that Keith would actually sing for him.

Placing his fingers on the designated strings, Keith began to play again.

“There’s pieces of us along every street,” Lance felt his heart race at the sound of how beautiful Keith’s voice actually was. “I watch from her pictures, I watch from her pictures…”

Getting absorbed by the song, Lance kept watching Keith and taking in every detail that seem to glow in the dimness of the room because Keith looked like he was actually enjoying playing now. His violet eyes had a soft light in them that flashed only to be hidden in secret whenever Keith’s dark lashes fluttered when he closed his eyes. The way his body relaxed as he leaned on Lance’s headboard, and the way his voice made goosebumps appear on Lance’s skin while warmth surged through his veins and made his heart skip.

Here was Keith, singing one of Lance’s favorite songs and it was one of the best covers he had ever heard. Keith looked like he was so into it that when he started to sing the second part of the song, Lance finally joined him.

“…I don’t know why I’m calling you tonight, guess it’s just better than bleeding lights.”

Keith’s eyes snapped open and he stared at Lance who sang while he smiled at him, looking like he’s having the time of his life. Lance’s voice was actually pretty good and it complimented Keith because of the contrast of being an octave lower.

“Bright enough to burn this distance,” Lance’s eyes bore into Keith who had fallen quiet to let Lance sing the part while he played.  “Hoping my dear, this time you’ll listen.”

And when they finally hit the final chorus, they sang together as a duet. It was quiet with nothing but Keith’s guitar and their voices blending harmoniously in an exclusive concert that was as secret as the feelings that they felt for each other. Finally, they alternately sang the last part;

“The miles mean nothing, we’re closer than ever before.” Lance’s voice mellowed and Keith followed;

“Too much just happened for me to come home, would welcome me Jersey, if I wound cold at your door.”

As the last melody of the songs faded away, Lance and Keith stared at each other, still caught up in the moment of their duet.

“Are you feeling better?” Lance was the first one to break the silence after he cleared his throat.

“Yeah, I guess.” Keith placed his guitar back to where it was propped against the nightstand. But when he didn’t say anymore, Lance laid back down on his side of the bed with his back turned to Keith again.

“Okay, go nap.”

Without another word, Keith laid down again and watched the ceiling. He thought about the strange emotion. They didn’t really have a good start but here they are and Keith felt that maybe, just maybe, he could trust Lance.

 “I had a nightmare.”

Those quiet words caught Lance’s attention and his blue eyes locked with dark violet ones in the dimness of the room.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Lance offered softly as he turned around to face Keith who laid down beside him. When a look of reluctance crossed Keith’s expression, he added; “As much as you’re comfortable with, if you want to.”

“It’s…” Keith began, the words but a whisper in the dark. “It’s about my mom and the night she…” Keith had to take a breath. “…died.”

The word instantly ripped Lance’s heart in half and when Keith curled up into a ball beside him, he felt an urge that tugged at him in which he completely gave into. Slowly, his hand reached out towards the body who laid beside him and held Keith’s curled fist. Lance thought how the loss of Keith’s mom had impacted greatly on him and Shiro, who he now knew, was a widower.

“What happened?” Lance scooted closer towards Keith. In his grasp, he felt Keith’s fist shake so he squeezed it comfortingly, assuring the other teen that he was there to listen. But what Keith revealed next sent Lance into a spiral of silent shock;

“She and my dad were killed.” Keith really found it hard to talk about those events. He never talked about what happened that night, not even to Shiro. And yet, here he was, in Lance’s bed, curled up beside the blue eyed teen he felt something for. It was flurry of emotions, but what Keith felt was most prominent that very moment was that he knew that Lance wouldn’t recoil from him.

“So…” Lance’s voice was quiet. “Shiro isn’t your dad?”

Keith nodded. “My dad was in the special ops with Shiro and the two of them are best friends despite Shiro’s rank being lower.”

But having rank in the force and getting into operations that busted out drug cartels around the city, Lucas Kogane had earned some enemies. “It happened when I was eight. Two people broke into our house and dad…well, he hid me and mom first.” Keith continued. “He got the first guy, but the second shot him.”

 

“Mom went back upstairs to…” he choked on the words. Keith tried to continue but it was like his throat had gone dry and it suddenly became a little bit too hard to breathe. “He’d find us if she didn’t…”

Lance reached out hesitantly at first, but he knew he wanted to proceed because something in him broke to see Keith like that. He just couldn’t find it in his heart to let Keith go through this alone.

“Keith, I’m going to hold you, okay?” He said cautiously so he doesn’t startle the other.

Keith’s heart slammed against the wall of his chest when Lance scooted closer to remove the gap between them and he wrapped his arms around his form.

“Lance… I---” Keith began but Lance shook his head and he was sure he could see those blue irises of his glow in the dimness of the room.

“You don’t have to continue if you find it hard already.” His tone was gentle and Lance felt Keith relax in his arms. Lance stilled when he felt Keith press his forehead against his chest and he let his fingers weave through the back of Keith’s head in a soothing rhythm.  

Closing his eyes, Keith felt the memories of the nightmare that plagued him melt away because of Lance’s warmth. He took a deep breath and inhaled the clean detergent scent of Lance’s shirt mixed with the scent of his tanned skin.

“Your hair is so soft.” Lance’s tone was playful now but soft as he breathed out the words. He felt his own heart speed up in his chest when Keith looked up from where he was curled up. “What shampoo do you use?”

“Really, you ask that?” Keith arched an eye brow but he just sighed when Lance chuckled and Keith allowed himself to do the same as well.

“You’re selfish with hair secrets now too?”

 “That’s why they’re called secrets, dumbass.” Keith retorted. Taking a deep breath and finally deciding that it was worth taking the chance, he returned the embrace and wrapped his arms around as well. “Hey, Lance, thank you.”

“Sure, no prob at all.” Lance replied.

“Hey, sorry I stole your geometry homework back then.” He admitted as Lance’s eyes widened. “I was an idiot who couldn’t think of a better way for you to notice me so like… yeah, sorry.”  

“So it was you!” Lance narrowed his eyes and looked accusingly at Keith who shrugged. Then he paused when the latter words were realized; “Wait… You like me?”

“Yeah. Like as in…” Keith chewed his inner lip. Just earlier he was having a breakdown until Lance calmed him down and truth be told, no one but Shiro had managed to calm him down before. “Like, _like._ ”

“I…” Lance lowered his gaze, his face noticeably reddening. “Well, I….” He turned his head slightly to the side to completely tear his eyes away from those violet pools. He mumbled; “I like you too.” A breath. “A-A lot. But you still stole my homework, I saw you take it from my bag during gym!”

“Hey, I said I was sorry.” He said, suddenly perking up when Lance admitted that he felt the same. “I was a prick, okay?”

“Keith, we had an argument at the courtyard.”

“That started everything now, did it?” A knowing smile lit up Keith’s features.

“You sly fucker.”

“At least I’m honest about it.”

“Shut the fuck up, Keith.” Lance gave out a soft ‘hmph’ but Keith was glad that the other didn’t break away from their shared embrace. “Go to sleep, you look worse than Pidge on finals week.”

But Keith trailed his eyes to meet Lance’s gaze. “Lance, please don’t tell anyone about me.”

“I promise.” The other nodded.

Keith reached up and placed his hand on the side of Lance’s face. He caressed his thumb over the tanned skin of the other’s cheekbone while he gazed in those ocean blue eyes while the gentle tug of Lance’s fingers on his dark hair lulled him to sleep.

As Lance watched Keith’s fall asleep, he thought about what Keith had just revealed to him. It was something that he had kept from others all his and Lance was one of the chosen few who knew the truth about Keith.

Would Keith use him after he just poured his heart out to Lance about his past? Lance now disagreed and ultimately decided to ignore the upsetting anon text as well as kick away the doubts he felt. Keith trusted him and he trusted Keith.

Lance felt sleep cover him like a blanket too as he was carried away by the gentle rhythm of Keith’s breathing.

 

_Too much just happened for me to come home,_

_Would you welcome me Jersey if I wound up cold at your door?_

 

 

 

~

**Shirogane Clan Estate**

**Tokyo, Japan**

A woman who donned a black silk kimono patterned with silver butterflies knelt before the ceremonial tea set as she whisked the matcha with the bamboo _chasen_ in the prescribed rhythm. The birds that chirped while they flitted by the groves of bamboo calmed her nerves and her features that time appeared to have not touched despite being in her early sixties, were tranquil.

She lifted the clay bowl containing the green matcha she had prepared in the traditional way and she took a careful sip, savoring the pure flavor. With her eyes still closed, she lowered the bowl on the tray in front of her before and she folded her perfectly manicured hands over the black silk that wrapped around her lap.

The morning was especially peaceful that moment and she slowly opened her sharp, dark gray eyes that were prominent features her sons inherited from her. However, despite her fine aged beauty, those eyes were shrewd and cold as they wandered around the back yard of the spacious four hectare estate.

Suddenly, there was a tinkle of a small silver bell that hung on the door to inform her that there was someone outside of the tea room.

“You may enter.” Her voice was regal but cold just like her gaze.

The screen panel door parted to reveal a servant on her knees. On her hands was a small tray with a piece of white linen and on top was a single smartphone.

“What is it?” the woman asked the servant girl in their native language.

“Madam,” the servant bowed her head and slightly offered the tray to show that the phone’s screen was lit up to display the name of the caller. “Miss Valerie Smith would like to speak to you. She says that it is a courtesy call.”

With a silent hand signal to gesture, the girl came closer and the woman took the phone from the tray. The servant left immediately in respect to the privacy of the conversation between her mistress and the caller.

“Hello, Valerie.” Kimiko Shirogane transitioned to a well-polished English as she greeted the younger woman on the phone. After her the death of her husband and eldest son, she had become the matriarch head of the Shirogane family who owned one of the most powerful telecommunication companies abroad in which her youngest and only remaining son, Takashi Shirogane, was CEO.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this call? Are things well between you and my son?” Kimiko’s tone was pleasant but not warm and her eyes flashed dangerously as a deep frown pulled down the corners of her lips when Valerie said no.

Kimiko listened as Valerie told her that Shiro had called her to tell her that he was no longer interested. Shiro’s mother understood that her son had his own level of stubbornness which made him her least favorite compared to her eldest son, Soichiro. It was such a waste that he had to die an untimely death and there was no choice but to make Takashi the new CEO because she’s not in the proper health anymore for such a strenuous task.

Takashi’s had his time when he deviated from what she wanted him to do when he decided to become a lowly police officer.

And to her disapproval, he even went as far as taking in a brooding little urchin that had no ounce of class or respect when she looked upon him. The boy merely met her gaze with those haunting violet eyes in silent challenge while he didn’t say a word.

The boy was _disgusting_.

“Fuyumi.” Her voice was crisp as she called for the servant girl and the screen door parted to reveal the girl with her head bowed in fear rather than respect.

“You called for me, madam?” She uttered the words softly in Japanese and carefully took the phone Kimiko handed back to her.

“Check up on what Takashi is up to.” Kimiko’s order was sharp as a blade but then, she paused and considered something else. She needed to gather all the information she needed to device her move. “And check up on that boy too.”

The girl known as Fuyumi bowed her head once again and gently closed the screen door, leaving Kimiko alone in the tea room.

Kimiko reached up and carefully tucked a strand of silver hair that had escaped her pristine bun.  Her gaze fell on the koi pond outside and she focused on the swirling colors of the fish that swam around. She took even breaths to try and ease her thoughts so she can think clearly.

Valerie Smith is the second she had arranged for Takashi that son had rejected in a span of a year. And if Kimiko knew her _disappointment_  of a son, he had a matter of stepping out of practical norms. Takashi wasn’t getting any younger and an heir must be produced to assure that the succession of Voltron would still be under the control of the Shirogane family.

“What have you done now, Takashi?” Kimiko sighed disapprovingly. No, she will not allow her son to rebel from her control; the company will always be top priority, not what Takashi wanted.

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new arc begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE HAVE 12k HITS AND 1K KUDOS. DEAR FREAKIN CORAN'S MUSTACHE. *sobs* 
> 
> I made a compilation post of all the moodboards from the first arc in my tumblr so just dive into the Taking Chances tag. THAT'S RIGHT, KIDS. ARC. Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE AND THE SUPPORT! It means so much to me and I hope that you'll like this new update I wrote. 
> 
> Also, I think you'll love the Klance chapter that's up nest ;) Because hell, even my cold, dead heart was touched by what happened. 
> 
> Again, thank you and please let me know what you think of this chapter and/or the story so far. See you in the next chapter! <3

Chapter 18

Lance squirmed uneasily in his seat while he flipped through his notes. Coran was merrily discussing the Battle of Waterloo while clicking the remote for the projector that flashed the powerpoint slides on the board.

“Where’s Keith?” Pidge asked from beside Lance while their eyes darted to the empty seat.

“I don’t know, dude.” Lance replied in a hushed tone so that Coran wouldn’t notice them. He thought back about their bonding moment in his room when they held the other in their arms as they napped. Lance felt his heartbeat race but he had to yield in focus or he won’t be able to focus in class. However, it was hard to do so when the usual enigmatic presence that sat beside him was not there.

“He didn’t text me.”

“Oh, I’m-not-going-to-school texting basis now, huh?” Pidge wagged their eyebrows at Lance who glared back, but his cheeks were slightly tinted with a blush. Truth be told, Pidge was weary about Keith being with them at first because that guy was basically an antisocial asswipe but their perception changed as they got to know Keith more.

“Shut up, Pid—“ Lance’s hiss was interrupted when the door opened to reveal Keith on the doorway. He looked his usual with his crooked tie, slightly ruffled mullet, and resting bitch face.

“Mr. Kogane.” Coran crossed his arms sternly over his cravat. He immediately reminded Keith of their arrangement from the last time the young man came in late in his class. “I believe you still recall our former agreement about punctuality.”

Keith’s violet eyes rolled exasperatedly before it skipped through the pairs of eyes that watched him until his gaze settled to lock with ocean blue ones.

Lance was about to interrupt in a negotiation but Keith slightly shook his head and Lance sat back down, his eyes darting between the raven haired teen and Coran.

“I’ll show myself to detention, then.” Keith shrugged carelessly and turned around to leave. Then, he paused and looked over his shoulder to glance at the powerpoint projected on the board. “Oh, and spoiler alert, Napoleon gets his ass kicked by the Duke of Wellington and the Prince of Whalstatt from the Seventh Coalition. Sucks for Napoleon, it probably deflated his ego to match his size.” Then he walked off before letting his eyes linger with Lance’s for a little bit more.

Chuckles erupted from the room from the double meaning of ‘size’ but Coran gaped at the empty doorway while he watched Keith’s retreating figure. He then reached up to stroke his ginger mustache and nodded thoughtfully; “He’s actually correct.”

“This is a new lesson,” Pidge said, bewildered. “How did Keith know that so soon?”

Lance just stated down the empty hallway where Keith disappeared and a small smile lifted on his lips while he remembered that Allura said that Keith’s actually changed for the better now.

“Initiative.” Lance smiled, thinking about the guy who made him feel butterflies in his stomach.

However, a few minutes into the lecture, Lance felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Hoping that it was from Keith, Lance waited until Coran wasn’t looking before he pulled out the device and swiped the screen to view the message.

It was from the same number:

**_Wow. You’re worthless._ **

“Lance?” Pidge asked from behind him and Lance quickly stuffed his phone back into his pocket. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Lance flashed a quick grin at Pidge. Whoever this was it really wanted to make Lance doubt but he wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction.

If he ignores it, they’ll get tired and eventually stop. It can’t get any worse, right?

_Right?_

~

Keith was no stranger in Room 214 located at the second floor of the main building which was the room set for students who got detention. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open and stepped inside the organized chaos of the room.

Why was it chaotic? It’s because the detention prefect, Mr. Hoover was probably off banging the school nursed on one of the infirmary beds.

“Yo, Keith! Get your ass in here, I got some sour patch kids.” A familiar female voice called and Keith saw a girl with an obnoxiously big jacket over her school uniform. The garment had a lot of pockets on it and the yellow uniform ribbon that peeked out told that she was a sophomore. Her wavy brown hair with locks that were dyed red fell around to frame her dark hazel eyes while the rest of it was tied back into a messy bun on the back of her head.

Chandler was a non-scholar who had earned the title ‘Lunchbox’ around Altea because of that infamous multi pocketed jacket of hers. Coming from a prominent family who were known to purchase dying businesses and somehow miraculously revive them back into success, Chandler’s got a lot of resources in her arsenal.

But she was mostly known as the girl who could keep a shit ton of food in her ‘snacket’ and she gives them out for free in detention to keep the other kids from starving to death or dying from boredom. Chandler was also a very reliable information broker and she can dig up dirt on just about anyone for a price. And because she is a sneaky, food philanthropist with a cynical sense of humor, she and Keith got along.

“’Sup, Chandler.” Keith let his bag drop to the floor and plopped into the empty seat beside Shay’s classmate. As he did, Chandler lifted her fist up which Keith bumped with his own in greeting. “Give me those sour patches. I need to stay awake or Elric will send me back in here if I fall asleep.”

“God, I hate that guy.” Chandler grimaced when she dug through one of her pockets and pulled out the pack of candy Keith asked for. Chandler and Keith had become detention buddies over the time they were sent to Room 214 and like Keith, Chandler’s been a regular since her freshmen days.

“He’s so short, angry, and he smells like Old Spice.” She hissed then muttered. “God, I hate Old Spice.”

“You hate everything.” Keith propped his feet up on the empty seat in front of him while he ignored the racket coming from the other detention kids. 

“ _You_ hate everything.” The younger girl retorted and Keith snorted in disagreement while he ripped the sour patch kids open.

“Not everything.” He muttered back, thinking of one single person. “I like sour patches.”

Chandler rolled her dark hazel eyes reached into her front pocket to pull out a pack of goldfish crackers along with her phone. When Keith looked over to the younger girl, he saw that Chandler was looking over a music sheet on the pdf reader in her phone.

“So, what’s the piece for?” Keith asked, interested. Another reason why he got along with Chandler was due to their shared enthusiasm with music. And while Keith played the guitar, Chandler played the keyboard.

“My folks are making me record the music for the coral room.” Chandler groaned. “I mean, no shit, dude, I’d have no problem with it if it was like… I dunno, something from more recent times?” she rolled her hazel eyes. “But noooo, it’s got to be one of those elevator music kinds.”

The girl absolutely made no sense to Keith. “What…coral room?”

Chandler was about to answer when the door creaked open to reveal a pale looking, curly haired freshman on the doorway. Keith had never seen the guy before and the poor kid looked so spooked probably because it was his first time in Room 214.

Seriously, Keith wondered why so many people are terrified of detention when it’s basically free period and free food when Chandlers’ in.

“Hey, curly tops! Chandler called over to the student who reluctantly stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “First time?”

The freshman nodded.

“Get over here, I’ll give you a welcome care package.” Chandler then dug deep into one of her pockets and pulled out little jelly cups as much as her hand could grasp.

When the pale, spooked boy just stood there, Keith rolled his eyes and groaned; “Kid, just get the fuck over here and get your jelly cups. I promise she won’t throw you out the window.”

“Uh, thanks?” It sounded more of a question. “I don’t know why you’re feeding me---“

“Okay, listen here, fresh meat.” Keith said as he thought about how he wasn’t so different from this kid before he started hanging out with Lance’s group. “Never say no to free food.”

“But why is she giving me free---“

“Free food is free food, now scram.” Keith interrupted before the other student could finish.

The freshman nodded nervously and took the jelly cups from the sophomore girl with a quick thanks and scurried off.

“As I was saying.” Chandler continued. “I don’t really go around telling this to people because I don’t really care, but my family bought the old closed down aquarium. They renovated it, got some souvenir goodies, shipped in some rad Finding Nemo shit, and made me record the piano music for the coral room because they want to cut costs on cheesy romantic OSTs.” She shrugged. “It’s going to open next week so yeah.”

_‘Lance adores the ocean.’_

Allura’s words echoed through Keith’s mind once again and the last time it did, the two of them got into trouble. But he was going to make up for that as he finally decided out of the blue.

“Dude.” Keith breathed out, his violet eyes wide. “You mean to tell me that you have access to that place before it goes live next week?”

“Uh, duh.”

Keith ran his pale fingers over his raven black hair and he blew out a breath of disbelief. Was he really going to do this? What if Lance says no? Wait, would Lance even say now after how they held each other in his room last weekend? The jackass admitted that he liked him back anyway.

“Chandler,” his head whipped to the side to stare intently into the younger girl’s hazel eyes. “Please, you gotta give me access to the aquarium before it opens to the public.” Because if there are other people there, Keith won’t be able to enjoy it with Lance exclusively.

Holy shit. Keith was really going to do it, is he?

“Why?” Chandler then raised a single brow in question and Keith groaned.

“Do you have to know?”

“Yes.” The girl replied. “I have to know the details of all favors asked as to the who, what, and why concerned. It’s how I work.”

“Christ.” Keith hissed under his breath. “I’m going to ask someone out, okay?!”

Chandler stilled and stared at Keith before her face cracked a full blown shit eating grin that made Keith turn red. “Keith’s got a boyfriiiieeeeeend.” She sang.

“Shut. Up.” Keith’s eyes glanced over his shoulder  and to the other students with them. “I like to keep my privacy.”

“It’s Lance Calhoun, isn’t it?” Keith blinked when Chandler leaned back against her chair and popped in a couple of goldfish biscuits in her mouth. “You almost shoved a whole iced macchiato up a Garrison student’s ass for giving his number to Lance.”

“How did you---“ Keith began but the sophomore just snorted.

“You forget that I am the great Overseer of anything and everything Altean. I have eyes and ears all over.” Chandler reached for her bag and pulled out a single key from the side pocket before she handed it to Keith. “Here’s the spare to the back door. The security cameras aren’t installed yet so there will be roaming guards. You gotta kick up your Mission Impossible skills if you don’t want to get into trouble.” She then tapped her index finger over her chin.

“Hmm, what else… Oh shit yeah. No skinny dipping.” Her eyes were wide as she looked at him. “I fucking mean it, Kogane. They just shipped in a motherfucking tiger shark the other day and I don’t want to see your dead bodies in the morning news. I will fucking raise you from the dead so I can kick your ass back in, do you hear me?”

“No skinny dipping. Shark. Got it.” Keith nodded as he took the key. “What do I owe you?” because deals with Altea’s walking talking Craig’s List comes with a price. Chandler may give out free food, but deals and favors are never up for grabs.

Chandler then reached into her bag again and pulled out a ziplock filled with what looked like homemade peanut butter cookies. “I heard you’re pretty light on your feet. All you gotta do is put these cookies in locker 55. The lock’s broken so make sure you’re not caught and that you don’t disturb anything. That’s it.”

“Who’s in locker 55?” Keith asked, confused as his brows bunched over his violet eyes. But Chandler just shrugged before she muttered something he barely understood.

“This conversation never happened.” Chandler then tossed a juice box which Keith caught with a fluid reflex. “Now if I were you, I’ll start plotting how to ask Calhoun out.” 

~

“Biology book, ah here we go.” Lance muttered as the tip of his finger ran along the spines of the books that were arranged in his locker. He carried the book to his side along with his steno notebook as he closed his locker’s door.

“Hey, nerd.”

Keith coolly leaned against the locker next to Lance’s with his hands stuffed in his pants pockets. Lance his breath whistle out of him when he saw Keith.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lance half demanded, feeling a little flustered and his glasses slightly slid down the ridge of his nose. “Quit sneaking up on me, dude!”

“What are you doing on Saturday?” Keith suddenly asked and locked his violet gaze with Lance’s blue ones.

Lance fell silent before he replied; “Uhm, sleep in, I guess?”

Suddenly, Lance’s heart thudded in his chest when Keith suddenly moved in and trapped him between the locker and his body with one arm braced beside Lance’s head.

“Cool.” Keith smirked confidently and Lance could feel his heart leap into his throat and his face turn red. “I’ll pick you up at one.”

“S-Sure.” Lance gulped and Lance managed to smile although it appeared crooked because he fought the urge to hyperventilate at the fact that Keith was asking him out on a date. “One sounds g-great!”

~

**That evening…**

“Mother, we’ve been through this.” Shiro tried to maintain a civil tone as he spoke to the woman who bore him into this world but handed him for the tutors and servants to raise because she was too caught up with Shiro’s older brother, Sven.

It was actually Soichiro and Sven was just a nickname he had earned from studying in Europe because his given name was just too long to pronounce.

“Miss Smith isn’t just for me, okay? Please don’t meddle in with my decisions---“ Shiro’s Japanese was smooth to the very pronunciation. He closed his eyes and massaged his temple with his free hand while the other held his phone against his ear.

“No, mother, no more arrangements, please.” He felt his voice grit at the edges. “I’m too busy running a company to be caught up with petty matters such as romance.” And before his mother could say more, Shiro muttered a quick good night before he bid farewell and ended the call without a second thought.

“That’s the best lie I’ve heard today.” Keith leaned against the door way of the penthouse study with his hands casually resting in the pants pockets of his uniform. “I’m pretty sure you’re in love with Allura.”

“Eavesdropping is not nice, Keith.” Shiro frowned and Keith pushed off from the doorframe.

“Sorry,” Keith replied. “I didn’t mean to, really. But it’s hard not to hear anything with you raising your voice like that.”

Shiro was patient and he rarely raised his voice but when he did, it meant that he was already mad. “What is it, Keith?”

Keith watched as Shiro leaned against his desk. “I’ll come back when you’ve cooled off.”

“It’s fine.” Shiro sighed. “Sorry, my mom is… controlling. You of all people know that.”

“Tch, don’t I.” Keith’s tone went deadpanned. He remembered the way Kimiko Shirogane’s cold, shrewd eyes looked down on Keith with disgust and called him ‘a waste of time’ when she visited after Sven died and Shiro was forced to take over the company. “You’re not going to tell her about---“

“No.” Shiro replied before Keith could finish. He wouldn’t dare put Allura under his mother’s clutches because he was sure Kimiko would never approve. She never approved of anything Shiro decided to do and preferred it that she had her own son’s limbs tied to her fingers like a damn puppet.

_Like Sven._

“Allura isn’t even my…” Shiro then cleared his throat and Keith quirked an eyebrow at him. “I mean, she and I aren’t---“

“Jeeze, just, I don’t know… Ask her out or kiss her already, dude.” Keith rolled his eyes then perked up. “Which reminds me of why I decided to barge in on you. I need a favor.”

“A favor?” Shiro’s tone didn’t sound impressed but he gave Keith a chance. “Alright, I’m listening.”

“Is my bike still under hostage?” he asked and something changed in Shiro’s expression. He propped his elbows against the desk and his fingers laced like he was about to get into a negotiation.

“Unless your quarterly grade convinces me otherwise,” Shiro replied. “Then, yeah, it is.”

Keith’s shoulders slumped at Shiro’s answer but he didn’t back down. However, Shiro was surprised when Keith heaved a sigh and averted his gaze before he asked;

“I’d like to borrow it on Saturday.”

“Why?”

Keith tried to answer Shiro’s question but unlike other people, he found it hard and awkward to admit things to Shiro. However, with the way Keith’s face suddenly bloomed in color told Shiro his answer and he eased up.

“Who’s your lucky date?” Shiro asked smugly, his anger from the phone call forgotten and he studied Keith with interest in his eyes. Keith had to take a lot of deep breaths.

“Lance.”

Shiro snorted and gave Keith a look; “I knew it. I totally knew it.”

“Is it that obvious?” Keith demanded and his face turned completely red.

“Yeah.” Shiro replied and he pulled open a desk drawer and pulled out a key attached to a Blue Paladin insignia keychain. “Don’t think I don’t know about the Coffee Nook’s secret menu and your loyalty card. Isn’t that just an excuse so you could stare at Lance without being noticed?”

“N-No!” Keith protested. He sounded angry but he was just irritated at being caught red handed.

“And you talk about nothing but Lance.” Shiro added while he idly spun the Ducati’s key by the ring of the keychain.

“No, I don’t!”

“And the way you look at him---“

“Alright, dude, just cut it out already!” Keith burst out and Shiro chuckled before he chucked the key at Keith’s direction who in return, caught it.

“Speed limit and helmets, okay?” Shiro said. “Try not to give Lance a heart attack with your obsession with speed.”

“Don’t worry, buddy.” Keith smirked as he looked at the key in his grasp. “I promise you that I won’t ruin your chances with Allura.”

Shiro felt his cheeks bloom with heat.

~

_ >SQUAD Has One New Message< _

__

**Pidge Holt:   HUNK. HUNK WHERE ARE YOU?!**

**HUNK. ANSWER ME DAMMIT.**

**Hunk Garrett:   Wtf do you want, short stuff??**

**Pidge Holt:   What date is it, big man?**

**Hunk Garrett:   Uh. Sept 27. Why?**

**Pidge Holt:   I said in my bet that Lance and Keith will go on their first date by the end of the month.**

**Lance A. Calhoun:   ARE YOU DUCKING SERIOUS? THAT SHIT’S LUCKING STILLETO?**

***Fucking**

***Still on**

**DAMN YOU TO HELL AUTOCORRECT**

**Shayla Denvers:   OMG. OMGOMGOMGOMGOGMOGMOMGJFHSKJFHKJEHFSHFS**

**Pidge Holt:   GIVE ME MY TEN DOLLARS, HUNK. GIVE IT TO ME OR I’LL BREAK DOWN YOUR DOOR WITH MY CURSED SHORT ARMS SO HELP ME SAINT MARIA ALTEA.**

**Shayla Denvers:   Pidgey, please calm down, omg. Hunk is a gentle soul who is a man of his word. Hunkybear, give Pidge their ten bucks.**

**-Hunk Garrett has added K. Kogane to the group.-**

**Lance A. Calhoun:   HUNK YOU TRAITOR.**

**Hunk Garrett:   Hey, man. Keith’s one of us now. He deserves to be here.**

**Lance A. Calhoun:   I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL STRANGLE YOU WITH A PS4 CHORD.**

**Pidge Holt:   Come on, Hunk! Admit it, I won the bet. Admit it or I’ll have Rover pee on everything you love.**

**Shayla Denvers:   OHGOD NO. HUNK, GIVE IT TO THEM. I JUST SHOWERED.**

**Hunk Garrett:   Hot ;)**

**Lance A. Calhoun: HOLY SHNITZEL GET A ROOM**

***SHIT**

**Seriously, DUCK THIS AUTOCORRECT WTF IS A SHNITZEL??!**

***DUCK**

***F U C K !!!!!**

**Pidge Holt:   hahaha holy shit**

 

**K. Kogane: What. What the fuck is this shit?! WHAT BET, PIDGE?**

**Pidge Holt:   Stay outta this, chicken mcmullet. I’m in the middle of a very important business negotiation here.**

 

**K. Kogane: WHAT. BET. PIDGE.**

**Shayla Denvers:   Pidge and Hunk had a bet. Pidge said you and Lance will go on a date by the end of the month. My baby said that it’ll be by the middle of next month. Ten dollars is on the line and it looks like Pidge won because ya’ll be going on a date this weekend.**

 

**K. Kogane: WTF LANCE YOU TOLD THEM?**

**Lance A. Calhoun:   WHAT? NO. duck you and your accusations Keith!**

***FU CK**

**DAMN. I WILL THROW THIS PHONE AGAINST A WALL I SWEAR TO GOD**

**Hunk Garrett:   We’re going to find out soon enough anyway. Chill, dude.**

 

**K. Kogane: lol. Wait… THEN WHO THE FUCK?**

**Shayla Denvers:   Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you two will have an amazing time together this weekend <3 **

 

**K. Kogane: Shay, you sit beside Chandler in class, right?**

**Shayla Denvers:   … HUNKYBEAR PLEASE JUST GIVE PIDGE THEIR TEN DOLLARS.**

 

**K. Kogane: That ‘lil shit…**

**Hunk Garrett:   Alright already! I’ll hand it over at lunch tomorrow. Quit giving me a death sentence, bro.**

**Pidge Holt:   It’s a pleasure doing business with you, sir.**

**Lance A. Calhoun:   I hate you all.**

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We ain't ever getting older."
> 
> -Closer, The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUCH A STRESSFUL WEEK!!!! But as promised, here is the weekly update! This has to be my MOST favorite chapter so far because of SO MANY REASONS THAT I WILL NOT SPOIL until you read the chapter. This the biggest turning point for Klance after all. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the love and all the support you give me and my story! I will do my best to finish it for all of you. Please let me know your beautiful thoughts about this update because even I don't know what to say about it. 
> 
> *slams repeat button for Closer by The Chainsmokers*
> 
> Klance moodboard http://lightoflunaris.tumblr.com/post/151228167611/hey-did-you-know-that-penguins-mate-for-life

Chapter 19

 

Shiro was on his laptop downstairs when Keith came out of his room looking pretty dressed up with a red v neck shirt underneath a black leather jacket. He wore his usual boots and while he was walking down the stairs, he was putting on his black fingerless gloves.

When Keith saw how Shiro was watching him with a smug look on his face, the other glared.

“What?” Keith scowled. “Am I overdressed?”

“Nope.” Shiro shrugged, care free. “I’m just glad that you’re going on your first date with Lance.”

Keith blew out a breath but he obviously looked nervous. He combed his fingers through his thick raven hair before he took the Ducati key which was set beside the black porcelain vase that Keith vomited into before.

Well, he had cleaned that jar the morning after and Shiro went as far as disinfecting the vase. However, it was still a reminder about Keith’s foolishness that night; his foolishness wherein Lance lifted him up from the shit pile.

“I won’t be out too late.” Keith said. Allura wouldn’t appreciate it if he brought Lance home late especially on their first date. He was pretty sure that his tutor knew what was going on and it didn’t change between them. As a matter of fact, Allura was delighted during their last tutoring session to the point she was already blabbering the things Lance liked and the foods he’s allergic too.

“Have fun.” Shiro smiled and returned his gaze to his laptop screen while his eyes peered from behind his reading glasses. “Try not to scare Lance with your obsession with breaking the speed limit.”

“I wouldn’t want Allura to kill me, so don’t worry about it.” Keith turned around and placed his hand on the door knob. But he froze and thought about the very important decision that’s been keeping him awake for days.

“Hey. Shiro?”

“Yeah?” the older looked up from his work again. “What is it?”

Shiro noticed that Keith’s shoulders slightly shook as he breathed in and he looked over his shoulder towards him.

“Top of the hill to the left by the gardenias.”  

 _‘My god.’_ Shiro thought when he understood what Keith meant’ he was actually serious about Lance. This isn’t Keith’s first date with someone but he’s always been secretive of his past. To finally decide to open up to a person, Keith must be really into Lance.

“Alright.” Shiro nodded and gave a assuring smile. But he saw a shadow of worry cross Keith’s eyes and Shiro know that Keith was worried about Lance’s acceptance. “Hey, Keith.”

“Yeah?” the other looked up.

“I think they’ll like him. He’s a good guy.”

“Thanks, man.” Keith flashed a quick smile and headed out of the door, feeling more confident about himself and what he was about to do.

Now left alone in the penthouse, Shiro pulled up his facebook and opened a chat box with Allura. He didn’t have anything scheduled for the rest of the day and so he was free to do whatever the hell he wanted. A quiet afternoon with a beautiful woman would be nice.

 

**Shiro Takashi:   Hi. Do you want to have coffee? (:**

**Allura Calhoun:   Sure!**

 

~

Allura sat crossed legged on their couch with her phone clutched between her fingers and a small smile on her lips from the invitation for coffee. However, Lance was too much into panic mode to notice how smitten his mother looked right now.

“Mom, where are my Vans?!” Lance exclaimed as he rushed around their small apartment. He wore his favorite green hoodie with an orange band on each sleeve and blue plaid shirt, however, he was scampering around, barefoot. “God, where are they?”

“Patience yields focus, sweetie.” Allura couldn’t help but smile at how adorable Lance’s panic mode was. This was his first date after all. “Where did you last put them?”

Lance halted in the middle of the room and took a deep breath. His brows bunched over his dark blue eyes as he thought. Then, he snapped in remembrance and went back in his room. Soon after, he exited, now fully dressed.

“There we go.” Allura laughed. “See? You look handsome.”

“Thanks, mom.” Lance smiled, bashful. He acted confident all the time, but he actually didn’t see himself that high and compliments still made him blush.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a powerful revving of a motorbike. Lance and Allura stared at each other because heck, it sounded like it came straight out of a racing circuit.

“Oh, Christ.” Allura strode over to the window and peeked from behind the curtains only to see a shiny, red Ducati parked across the street. The rider was in all black with an extra helmet hooked on his arm and when he removed it, Keith combed his messed up hair with his fingers.

“YOU’RE GOING TO RIDE ON THAT?!” Allura demanded to Lance. “IS THAT SAFE? Oh my God, Shiro did not brief me on this!”

“I didn’t even know Keith had a Ducati, mom!” Lance said in defense. “I mean, It’s not like---“

The doorbell rang and Lance felt his heart jackhammer his chest.

“Go, go!” Allura started to tow Lance out of the door and she grabbed her trusty polaroid camera that was by the shelf.

Air whistled out of Lance when he opened the front door and was greeted by Keith who stood there and likewise, stared back.

“Hi.” Lance breathed out with a smile and Keith had to bite his lower lip and fight for control not to suddenly swoop in and kiss Lance.

“Hi, yourself.” Keith smiled and their gazes lingered longer than it should have. But then they were interrupted when Allura cleared her throat and they both looked at her.

Allura lifted the polaroid camera and she beamed at them. “Alright, picture time!”

“Mom! You’re embarrassing me!” Lance exclaimed, his face going completely red at the smug look his mother gave them.

“Oh, that’s nonsense, this is your first date. I’m going to preserve this so you’ll have something to look back to someday.”

“Mom!”

Keith felt something tug at his heartstrings when he heard those words from Allura and he ended up looking at Lance, seeing nothing else but him. Something to look back to someday, huh? Keith liked that idea.

“Smile!”

It was too late when the shutter went off and the picture slid out of the polaroid which Allura snatched and started flapping it to make the image appear faster.

“Alright, you boys be careful.” Allura said and then turned to Keith. “Speed limit, please.”

“I promised Shiro that I wouldn’t scare Lance.” Keith assured. He cleared his throat and in the most respectful tone, he said; “I’ll bring Lance home safe and sound.”

Allura put on a stoic face as she met Keith’s gaze. She faced him not as his tutor or his friend, but as Lance’s mother.

Lance’s mother is who is scared shitless at that Ducati from hell.

“Just,” Allura sighed. “Come home safe, both of you.”

“Will do, mom.” Lance assured and threw his arms around Allura to hug his mother in a sure, comforting grip. He then turned to Keith with a bright smile on his face. “Let’s go?”

“Yeah.” Keith nodded and handed Lance the extra helmet. “Just don’t scream.”

“Hey, I do not scream!” Lance shot back but Keith said something in retort as they both turned around and crossed the street to where the bike was parked.

Allura watched as her son and his date put on their helmets. Keith then got on the bike followed by Lance who got on behind him. The Ducati purred to life when Keith started it and he gave the engine a few revs and he kicked back the stand to prepare to take off.

Lance waved at Allura who waved back in return while Keith slid down the visor of his helmet and just like that, they were gone. Left alone at the common front door of their apartment building, Allura leaned against the doorframe and heaved a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and craned her head up to absorb the warm ray of the afternoon sun that made her dark skin glow.

Suddenly, she remembered that she still held Lance and Keith’s first date picture between her fingers and the image most likely appeared already. When Allura lifted the picture to look at it, her heart fluttered;

Lance was smiling adorably at the camera with a blush on his cheeks and his eyes bright behind his glasses. But it was Keith that made something melt inside Allura because Keith wasn’t looking at the camera, he was looking at Lance. Even if his expression was blank, the emotion in his eyes said it all. The way he looked at Lance like he was the whole damn world was enough to tell Allura that he approved of Keith dating her son.

“Aww.” Allura hummed. “This deserves a frame.”

~

Keith was torn between grimacing in irritation and grinning while Lance made little noises laden with fear whenever he would speed up. He especially liked it when Lance would tighten his arms around Keith’s torso as he held on for dear life but it didn’t take Lance long to figure out how to shift his weight along with the bike as they sped down the freeway.

Lance was terrified at first, but as soon as they hit the open highway and Keith sped up, he couldn’t help but feel the adrenaline rush through his veins from the speed and the bike’s revving cries. Honestly, this was already perfect; the adrenaline, the speeding landscape, and holding onto Keith who was bent over and in control of the Ducati.

They wouldn’t be able to hear each other over the noise of the wind and the engine, but their body language said it all by how close they were.

After a good joyride and the thrill of the speed pumping through their veins, Keith finally turned to exit the freeway and after a few more minutes, he parked in an alley behind what appeared to be a newly renovated building. Lance was the first one off the bike and he dropped to his knees on the concrete and pulled off his helmet.

“Laaaaand!” Lance cried out to the heavens and placed his hands on the ground. “Sweet laaaand!”

“I’m insulted.” Keith took off his own helmet but there was a noticeable smile on his lips that he tried to hide. “You can always admit that you enjoyed it.”

Lance snorted and got up on his feet and he dusted himself off but he didn’t deny what Keith said. “Well, yeah.” A grin. “Not too shabby.”

Keith rolled his eyes and hung his helmet on one of the handles of the Ducati and Lance did the same.

“So, what are we going to do?” Lance asked, looking around the alley. “Uh, is this going to be something like Lady and the Tramp?”

“With you as the tramp.” Keith snickered.

“Hey!”

“Just wait, I think you’ll like it.” Keith promised and he got off the bike. Excited, he towed Lance behind him when he strode towards an iron back door that led inside the dome like building. Experimentally, he tried the knob and just as expected, it was locked form the inside.

“Keep watch, Lance.” Keith mumbled as he rummaged through his pocket. Lance however, looked suspicious.

“What are you doing?”

“Finding the key?” Keith pulled out the spare key that he got from Chanlder and started picking at the door with it.

“Holy shit,” Lance breathed out in disbelief. Was this how a date is supposed to go? This was their first date and they looked like they were doing something illegal. Lance started to panic; “Keith, are we…ARE WE BREAKING IN---“

“SHHHH!!!!” Keith hissed and just then, the lock came undone. “You have to be quiet. This is a new level of VIP pass, okay?”

He pushed the door open and true enough a dark hallway gaped at them and the air that came from the inside held the scent of sea water and chlorine.

“Keith…” Lance looked unsure now but Keith stepped inside and held out his hand to Lance again in encouragement.

“Please trust me?”

“Okay.” Lance took Keith’s hand into his and their touch was warm against each other. They walked down the long hall way which ended at another door which was unlocked this time. When Keith opened it, they stepped into an empty room filled with unopened boxes that were labeled: ‘SOUVINIR SHOP’. There were rolled up posters, unused balloons, streamers, etcetera.

“Where are we?” Lance asked. He poked through some mermaid figurines wrapped in bubble wrap. “Is there some romantic dinner in one of these boxes?”

“Nah, that’s Shiro’s thing.” Keith replied and he took out his phone to scroll through a pdf of a floorplan. “I like to go overboard.”

“Tell me about it.” Lance snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “This is some kind of overboard.”

“Would you shut the fuck up and let me figure out this dumb floor plan.” Keith snapped but his voice was toned down into a whisper. “It’s bad enough that the path the staff takes is like a damn maze!” peering through the darkness of the room, Keith took a moment to zoom in and worked through the floorplan Chandler provided.

“Got it.” Keith smirked and gestured for Lance to follow him through a door at the far side of the room which led to another long empty hallway, but unlike the last one, this was dimly lit. “It’s supposed to be through this last door.”

“This is starting to freak me out, Keith.” Lance scowled and rubbed his arms at the eeriness of the darkness. He kept glancing over his shoulder like someone was following them and something slammed from the other side of the hallway which made Lance jump and clam his mouth over his mouth to trap the bubbling scream.

“See? I told you, you scream.” Keith teased and Lance flipped him the bird. Finally they reached the end of the dimly lit pathway where a small door was which was probably used by the maintenance staff. “Okay, Lance, here we go.”

“If this some weird cult initiation shit that would require me to wear a mullet,” Lance said with a tone of sass. “I am never going on a date with you again.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll be on your ass at how amazing this is going to be.” Keith smirked and pushed the door open.

It was a room shrouded with darkness and it became pitch black when the door they came from closed.

“Keith?” Lance’s voice shook now. “Keith, this isn’t funny or romantic anymore. Where are you?”

“Hold on a sec, baby.” In response, Keith turned on his phone’s flashlight to illuminate the wall where he was. “I’m looking for the switch. Chandler said it looked like one of those lever thingies.”

“Chandler?” Lance repeated. “Snacket girl? Altea’s craigslist?” Lance tilted his head to the side in curiosity. “Shay’s classmate who almost set the lab on fire because she used the apparatus there to make waffles?”

“Pretty much.” Keith’s reply was just a mumble since he was so fixated on his task. Then; “Oh cool, found it.”

When Keith pulled the lever switch, nothing happened at first but then slowly, a tame light started to flood the room to illuminate it. Lance’s eyes widened and all words died down in his throat as he realized that they were in a dome room of glass and on the other side were corals and schools of colorful fish that darted around; it was like they were in an air bubble at the bottom of the ocean.

Eels slithered in out of rocks and several octopi darted around the sand at the bottom. Manta rays swam around, flapping majestically like birds under the ocean but what made Lance’s knees buckle which made him fall flat on his ass in an astonished gape was the big tiger shark that swam above them.

“Oh, so that’s the shark she was talking about.” Keith’s eyes followed the predator that swam around like it owned the damn place. But then Lance didn’t say anything and just sat there in the middle of the room, utterly speechless.

“Lance?” Keith frowned and he walked over to sit and join Lance on the floor. He felt disappointment swallow his heart whole when Lance didn’t say anything and just sat there, staring.

Silence.

“Dammit, Lance, say something!” Keith snapped and his voice shook with worry and anger.

“Are we in the new aquarium?”

“Well, technically, it’s the old one.” Keith replied but his shoulders slumped because Lance didn’t appear impressed. “Chandler’s family bought it and renovated it, so yeah.”

Silence settled between them with Lance focused on the beautiful oceanic world that revolved with him and Keith as the center. Keith, on the other hand, was a nervous and paranoid wreck waiting to explode. He was worried that he fucked up their first date because Lance wasn’t his usual noisy, jackass self. Keith actually expected his date to be running around and pointing at fish while screaming fun facts about them.

But no, it wasn’t like how it was when they went to the beach because Lance was just sitting there.

“Lance,” Keith forced out. “Don’t you like it?”

“I love it.” Lance’s tone was soft and there was a small smile on his face. However, it was his eyes that shone from the inside as he turned to look at Keith while he teased.

“I told you that I like to go overboard.” Keith found himself smiling now but then breath rushed of him and he sat still like a statue when Lance suddenly leaned to the side and rested his head on Keith’s shoulder. There were no words between them, instead, there was a comfortable silence as they enjoyed the silence of being surrounded by the ocean. They watched the colorful school of fish dart around while their colors glimmered as they caught the light. The corals swayed with the gentle current of the water and their eyes followed the tiger shark that swam by once again.

Lance knew that he had to initiate something; anything, then he let his emotions control his actions and this was what happened. “Hey, did you know that penguins mate for life?”

“Oh yeah?” Keith’s response was soft and the way he looked at Lance was gentle. “Do you think those flightless little shits can beat breaking into private property for their date?”

“Nah.” Lance replied and he felt his heart beat faster when Keith stretched his arm out and wrapped it around Lance’s shoulders. “Only you’re batshit enough to come up with something this romantic.” He paused. “Thanks, you really made me happy, Keith.”

Keith opened his mouth to say something but just couldn’t find the words. So instead, his fingers trailed up to tilt up Lance’s chin and his thumb caressed his lower lip.

“Keith?” Lance asked but Keith responded by carefully pulling off Lance’s glasses to stare deeper into those eyes and suddenly, it was like that night in Keith’s room again except this time, he totally knew what he was doing.

“You’re eyes sure are pretty.” He smiled. Their faces were so close to each other’s that their breaths mingled between them. “Fight me on this.”

“Maybe later.” Lance found himself staring at Keith’s own lips and he slowly leaned in. “Are you sure your aim won’t miss this time?”

“Not a chance.”

Finally, Keith closed the distance between them. It felt like Lance’s whole body short circuited and all he could feel was the warmth their lips against each other and the softness as they moved. He carefully wrapped his arms around Keith’s neck while the other locked his arms around Lance’s waist and pulled him closer against him. The world stopped and all that mattered was the tender, treasured moment between them in the middle of their own secret ocean world.

When they broke apart for air, Lance pressed his forehead against Keith’s while a small smile played on his lips.

“Was that weird?” Keith asked and Lance shook his head.

“I like it.” He swooped down to steal a quick kiss which pasted a grin on Keith’s face. Never in a million years had Lance thought that his first kiss would be from someone he disliked at first. But when he got to know Keith better, he realized that he was alright. However, right now, Keith was _more_ that alright; he was everything and this moment they shared was a treasure.

“Not bad for a first kiss, huh?” Keith asked as he caressed Lance’s cheek which suddenly turned hot.

“How did you know it’s my first?” Lance pulled back, hissing in demand but Keith just shrugged with a small smirk on his face.

“If there’s one thing Allura taught me well,” he said. “It’s research. And besides, I do have my sources.” He chuckled. “Lance Calhoun, Everybody’s Man, has never been kissed.” Then a sly look crossed Keith’s face. “Until now, that is.”

“It was Pidge, wasn’t it?” Lance narrowed his eyes at Keith who looked away innocently.

“Hell, I don’t know, dude. I don’t namedrop my info dealers, sorry. It’s not how I work.” Keith was smug now and Lance crossed his arms over his chest with a pout on his face. “And besides, don’t tell me you didn’t like it.”

Lance snorted. “I kiss better.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“You wanna go?” Keith felt his veins run hot with the challenge and Lance’s response was to grab Keith and crush their lips together.

This kiss was more wild, playful, and messy than their first mostly because Lance and Keith were trying to get the best out of the other. Keith pressed on, the tip of his tongue sliding across the seam of Lance’s lips in an attempt to part them but then Lance playfully bit him back.

“Not fair, nerd!” The words were a half chuckle as Keith grinned when Lance straddled his lap.

“Because I’m winning?” Lance smirked sassily and Keith’s hands immediately slid down to hold Lance’s hips.

“It’s your first kiss, you’re not supposed to be winning.”

Lance then nuzzled the tip of his nose against Keith’s, their foreheads pressed together. The tenderness of that gesture made Keith bend his head and bury his face into the crook of Lance’s neck and he shuddered when Lance ran his fingers through his hair.

“God, Lance.” Keith mumbled through the other’s warm tanned skin. His nerves were haywire with heat and he felt very flustered. He didn’t remember the last time someone held him this close; it’s always been a wide, empty darkness. But then here comes Lance spearing through the clouds like sunshine with his stupid smile, those pretty blue eyes behind dumb glasses, and his golden heart that learned to look past the prejudices that started when they first met.

“Oops, did I just make you swoon over me?” Lance beamed but despite his teasing, Keith still cradled Lance in his arms.

“Shut the fuck up.”

That made Lance burst out laughing and Keith snapped his head up when they heard something slam from somewhere.

“Who’s there?!” the voice demanded and Keith and Lance scrambled to their feet. When Lance stumbled, Keith quickly pulled him up when they heard the door from the other side of the coral room open and close and the guard’s footsteps grew louder.

Suddenly, the knob on the last door that led to the room started to turn.

“Run.” Keith hissed and he wasted no time grabbing Lance by the hand and dragging him along as he rushed to another door.

“HEY!” The guard yelled when he saw them escape. “GET BACK HERE!”

Lance was able to keep up with Keith because of his long legs but unfortunately, he kept bumping into things because the panic made his bad eyesight worse.

“Do you know where the fuck you’re going?” Lance asked in panic as the two of them shot through the dimly lit hallways that were like mazes.

“No!” Keith hollered back.

But for some reason, Keith’s answer made Lance laugh merrily and it sounded so happy that Keith started laughing as well while they ran.

When they saw a neon sight that pointed to the exit, the two of them made a sharp turn and when they reached the last door, Keith pushed it open and the two of them stumbled into the bright sunshine outside.

It was a good thing that the guard on duty wasn’t very fast which gave Lance and Keith the advantage of their poorly thought escape plan that managed to actually save their asses. Running to the Ducati that was parked at the end of the alley, Keith quickly straddled the bike followed by Lance and they put on their helmets before they sped off, leaving the bewildered and breathless guard angrily waving his nightstick at them.

~

“We could’ve gone to jail.” Lance stared at the partially opened burrito with the top foil ripped off. “Maybe that guy would feed us to the shark. We’re going to be in so much trouble that Shiro’s negotiating powers won’t be enough.”

“You know, Lance,” Keith looked over from the side of the bench they sat on while he munched on a taco. “You have an amazing talent for taking a situation and making it utterly ridiculous.” He took a bite and when he spoke, his words were a little muffled while he chewed and finished his food. “You know that rumor that I was charged with arson?”

“Yeah?” Lance replied, a little bit suspicious. “What about it?”

“That’s kindda true. I mean, I wasn’t really charged with arson since they couldn’t prove it was me.” Keith nodded. He didn’t care about Lance nor even knew his name when it happened back then. “Remember the Bake Sale fire during Festival Week three years ago?”

“THAT WAS YOU?!” Lance demanded, horrified. “The juniors went on full panic mode! Alfor had to make a press release that no one was hurt! You destroyed five hundred dollars worth of lava fudge squares, Keith!”

“Well, one of them pissed me off so I fucked up their oven.” Keith shrugged. “No one intimidates lunch money from me and lives…or not suffer financial loss from their bake sale.”

“You know, mom told me that you’re also under behavioral probation.” Lance said he studied his half eaten burrito. “But compared to before, you’re actually better now.”

“I was just in the wrong crowd but some jackass pulled me out.”

Lance smiled when Keith’s knee nudged his own while they watched the ducks on the small man-made lake in the middle of the park; they sat closer now, with Lance leaning against Keith.

“Lance?” This was it for Keith, it was now or never and he had to say something before he chickened out. The two of them got this far and Keith couldn’t just let someone like Lance go.

“Hm?” Lance hummed while he scrunched up the burrito foil after he was done. He sat straight and made a basketball shot to the bin across the bench. When the foil went in, he made a fist pump of victory. “Scooooore, bitch!”

“Lance.” Keith’s voice was firmer now. “Are you listening to me?”

“Yeah.” Lance turned to face him. “What’s up?”

Taking a deep breath, Keith glared at his gloved hands that were clenched into fists. “So, uh,” he began. “I mean, like, we’ve known each other quite a while now.”

“Yeah?” Lance sat straight and fully faced Keith.

 “Well... I…”

This was bad; Keith was losing composure and Lance was looking even more confused because Keith was murdering the poor taco wrap with his tense fingers.

“Keith---?”

“PLEASE GO STEADY WITH ME!” Keith exclaimed. With the taco wrapper forgotten, he held Lance by the shoulders to make sure he saw that Keith was serious. “There. I said it.”

Red burst on Lance’s face while he gape wide eyed at what Keith just said. Was he hearing things or was that burrito making him hallucinate?  “Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?”

Keith gulped and nodded. “P-Please.”

Keith saying please and being flustered and adorable while at it was probably a sight Lance never dreamt of seeing. But this sudden moment just rendered him speechless.

“Hey, Lance?” Keith urged when Lance sucked in a breath of disbelief that this was actually happening. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Lance really didn’t feel the same and it threatened to rip Keith apart but he knew that he couldn’t jump into conclusions until Lance flat out rejected him.

“I knew you can’t resist me.” Lance smirked. “I mean, who can? I’m irresistible.”

“God damn it, Lance.” Keith groaned but Lance just laughed.

“Yes.”

“Seriously, you are the worst---Wait, what?” Keith’s attention was pulled back from his attempted rant. “What did you say?”

“Dude, I said yes!” Lance was seriously losing it now but his face was red and there were tears in his eyes from laughing too hard. “Your mullet’s so thick that you can’t even hear?”

“You jackass.” Keith grinned and reached back to place a hand on the back of Lance’s head, his fingers wrapping around the other’s nape. Then, he finally pulled Lance in to press a kiss on his lips to which the other returned lovingly. When he pulled away, he looked deep into Lance’s eyes.

“If we’re going to be in a relationship,” Keith began, a tad bit breathless from their kiss. “There are people I want you to meet.”

~

It was a good hour and a half ride to the next city which Keith and Shiro used to call home before the phone call that changed their lives forever. They stopped by a flower shop they found and Keith bought a bouquet of stargazer lilies which Lance held for the remainder of their trip.

Lance felt a stirring hunch to where they were going when Keith parked the Ducati at the foot of a hill at Callisto Eternal Gardens. Now carrying the bouquet, Keith turned to Lance and offered his hand to him that the other took and their fingers intertwined.

“They’re very nice.” Keith smiled over his shoulder at Lance who walked close behind while they climbed the small hill. “I think they’ll like you.”

“Keith…” Lance breathed and his eyes softened as Keith towed him along and when they reached the top there were a few gravestones that greeted them. However, Keith led Lance to one that rested on the far left by some flowering bushes. The grave was made out of marble and it looked simple with two names engraved above the dates that showed different birthdays but the same date of death.

 

**Lucas Kogane**

**Hyuna Kogane**

_“Their love proved strong until the end. May they rest in peace in each other’s arms.”_

 

Lance watched as Keith let go of his hand and knelt before the grave to brush away some petals that fell from the bush that was nearby. He then laid the bouquet beside the grave and his fingers gently caressed the names of his parents.

“Hi, mom. Hi, dad.” Keith smiled softly and Lance felt his heart melt and ache at the sight. “I’m sorry that I haven’t visited you in a while. School’s busy, Shiro confiscated my bike, and I can’t really cut class anymore to come see you.”

This was where Keith went whenever he would cut class? Lance bit his lower lip and he felt guilt poke at him for thinking that Keith didn’t really give a damn these past few years.

“I want to introduce someone to you.” Keith stood up straight and turned to Lance who stood beside him. “Remember the annoying guy I always tell you about? This is Lance and he’s a jackass. We don’t really see eye to eye sometimes but,” he paused and allowed his gaze to meet with Lance’s then he held his hand, their finger intertwining lovingly. “He means the world to me.”

Lance’s heart completely burst with love. “Keith…”

He slightly parted his lips to say something as he gazed in Keith’s eyes but he couldn’t get the words because the moment had rendered him speechless.

“Go on.” His boyfriend encouraged him while he gestured towards his parents. “Say hi.”

“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kogane.” Lance gulped and managed to force them out but his voice stammered, unsure what to say after Keith just said how he felt towards him. “I’m Lance Calhoun and I’m the annoying guy Keith told you about.” He released a nervous laugh. “Never in a million years did I think that your kid would be my boyfriend, but here we are.” He rocked back and forth on his feels and stuffed his free hand in his hoodie pocket while his thumb caressed the back of Keith’s hand which he held.

“But if there’s one thing I can assure you, I will never wrong him and I’ll always be by Keith’s side no matter what we go through together.”

 “Lance, I---“ This time, Keith stared with wide eyes but as a response, Lance lifted Keith’s hand which he held and kissed his knuckles.

“You don’t have to be alone anymore, Keith.” He said. “You have Shiro, you have the squad,” he smiled radiantly. “And you have me, okay?”

“Okay.” Keith felt like it’s been so long since he really, _really_ smiled. He wound one arm around Lance’s waist and pulled the other teen closer to press against his chest and touch their foreheads together.

“Dude, you’re parents are watching.” Lance teased but he was flustered. “It’s embarrassing!” But then a cool, gentle breeze blew down on them and it made the fallen petals on the ground swirl around in a display of colors.

“I think they like you.” Keith murmured with a smile before he gently leaned in and brush a gentle, fleeting kiss on Lance’s lips. “I’m sure they approve.”

“Well, I _am_ a great guy.” Lance winked but he looked so happy to be right there in Keith’s arms.

After the brief, tender moment they shared, Lance and Keith spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting on the grass by Lucas and Hyuna’s grave laughing together and just picking on each other like the little shits they were. They told stories about school, their friends, Allura, and Shiro as if Keith’s parents were really there with them. Strangely enough, they really did felt like their stories and their laughter were carried away by the wind.

Lance and Keith stayed there until the sky turned orange with the looming sunset and they took that as a sign that it was time to head back.

“We need to go now.” Keith said to his parents when he dusted off his pants after he stood up. “I promise Lance’s mom that I’d bring him home safe and well, you know me, I like speed. But as much as I do, I can’t risk Lance’s safety if it gets too dark on the road.”

“He **also** promised Shiro and my mom that he wouldn’t break the speed limit.” Lance quirked a brow and his tone held an edge of slight reprimand. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he keeps it, right, Keith?”

“He’s a naggy boyfriend.” Keith groaned and Lance grinned at the memory when Keith first said those words to him when he hauled his drunk ass home.

“Well, we’re off.” Keith turned his attention back to the polished marble grave. “I’ll visit again soon.”

“See you soon, Mr. and Mrs. K!” Lance grinned and dipped his head slightly in respect before he turned to leave but not before he glanced at Keith.

“Go on, I’ll catch up.” Keith said and Lance nodded before he left to go down the hill and to the parked Ducati. When Lance was gone, Keith knelt down on in front of the grave again and he placed one gloved hand on the cool marble.

“My life isn’t perfect but I’m in a better place compared to where I was before. I have Shiro making sure that I don’t mess up. I found real people who I could actually call my friends, and I have Lance.” Keith smiled. “Shiro will let me go soon when I turn eighteen and honestly, I still have no idea what to do with my life yet but I’m sure I’ll figure it out.”

He stood up to his full height but Keith never took his eyes off the grave. “Please don’t worry about me, I’m happy and I'm okay.”

A soft breeze blew down on Keith and this time, it was a little bit stronger that it messed up his mullet and it felt like the wind was doing it purpose like someone was ruffling his hair in approval.

“I love you, mom and dad.” Keith grinned and he gave one last look at the grave before he turned around to join Lance.

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More than 40 reviews for Keith and Lance's date and ya'll told me it made you tear up. You have no idea how much your feelings mean to me and I'm so happy that my words were able to touch your hearts. Thank you for the overwhelming comments! Now, I'm back for the weekly update! 
> 
> Please feel free let me know your thoughts about the chapter and/or the story so far!

Chapter 20

**Flashback**

_Allura’s dorm room felt so much smaller now that she sat on her bed with her fists curled against her lap. Her roommate, Paola, already went home for the holiday break while her next door dorm neighbor and Netflix marathon buddy, Hayden, had done the same. However, Allura wasn’t sure if she could do the same as her friends because of the situation she suddenly found herself in._

_There was a knock and Allura jumped onto her feet and stared wide eyed at the door._

_“Ally?” called the familiar voice from the other side. “Are you in? Ally?”_

_“Yeah, I am.” Allura called out as she smoothed her messed up bob that was pulled back on the crown with a thin, floral cloth. “Hold on, Owen.”_

_When she opened the door, Allura was greeted by a tall young man with dark brown hair and deep olive toned skin that echoed his Latino roots. His brown eyes lazily admired Allura’s beauty with a small smirk on his lips._

_“Your roomie’s away for the holiday, eh?” Owen entered the room when Allura stepped aside to let him. “I guess we’re alone?”_

_A small smile lifted on Allura’s lips but her eyes looked sullen and worried even if Owen wrapped an arm around her waist and spun her around to trap her between the wall and his body. He leaned his hand against Allura’s head and he swooped down to steal a kiss._

_“Where this time, babe?” Owen whispered against the kiss and he grinned when he earned a soft moan from Allura as his stubble scraped against her jaw. “Bed? Floor? Shower? Name it.”_

_Under normal circumstances, Allura would let go of the reins of control and just jump on Owen, but right now, worry was stirring her gut._

_“Sweetie, can we talk?” Allura reached placed a hand on the hard plane of his chest and gently pushed Owen back. “It’s important.”_

_“Are you breaking up with me?” Owen frowned and Allura quickly shook her head._

_“N-No! Of course not. It’s just something’s happened.”_

_“Okay, what’s up?” Owen then stepped back and watched as Allura sat on the edge of her bed. “Is there something I should know?”_

_Fear and dread suffocated Allura, threatening to pull her under but she had to stay strong because Owen had the right to know, she needed him to be with her right now._

_“Owen, I’m pregnant.”_

_The chilly silence that came from Owen’s usual suave, laid back personality made Allura shudder and she saw those eyes darken._

_“’Ya sure that thing’s mine?” The detachment from Owen’s voice made something inside Allura shatter._

_“Yes.”_

_“Jesus fucking Christ,” Owen reached up to remove his beanie and combed his fingers through his dark brown locks in utter frustration. “I was sure I was careful.”_

_“Contraception isn’t perfect, Owen.” Allura stood up when Owen shook his head subtly and turned around to head to the door. “Wait, where are you going?”_

_“Listen to me, Ally.” Owen’s voice turned hard. “I’m not going to tell you what to do with it, it’s your choice and I respect that.” He scowled at Allura. “But I hope you that respect my choice too.”_

_“Owen, what are you saying?” Allura felt her throat tighten and tears prickled her eyes. “You’re the father, you should at least be there---Owen, please.”_

_The look on Owen’s face said it all and the last thing he ever said was to Allura was “I don’t want anything to do with that thing, Ally. I’m sorry.”_

_~_

_“You’re a disappointment, Allura. We expected more from you!” Her father’s words speared through her heart as Allura peered up from her lashes at the man who had his back turned to her. Her mother was crying on the couch in their antebellum country house._

_Allura wanted to say something but she knew she would only make the situation worse so she kept quiet and tasted blood while she chewed in her inner lip._

_“Allura, dear, how could you be so irresponsible?” Her mother sobbed. “What about your education? You’ll have to drop out.”_

_“Then I will.” Allura forced out. “But I will keep the baby.”_

_There was only silent brooding from her father like he was disappointed with Allura’s choice. “Get out of my sight.”_

_~_

_Allura laid on the bed with her shirt pulled up to expose her swollen belly. Her friends from college, Paola and Hayden, sat beside her and watched the screen that reflected the ultrasound of the baby. She was thankful that after she moved into this new city on her own, her friends still stuck by her side despite the obstacles._

_“Here’s the head.” The doctor pointed at the screen then she moved the device to the side, gliding it against the cold gel on Allura’s belly._

_“Oh my god, look at its fingers!” Hayden exclaimed with excitement as he peered closer at the screen._

_“Stop using ‘it’!” Paola gently scolded. She then turned to the doctor. “Could you tell us if the baby is a boy or a girl?"_

_“Oh, you guys.” Allura sighed but she was smiling and there was a blush of excitement on her cheeks when she looked at the doctor expectant for an answer to Paola’s question._

_The doctor took a few moments while she moved the device around once again, looking for the indicating sign. When she found it, she instantly perked up;_

_“Congratulations, Ms. Calhoun.” She said. “You have a son.”_

_“Ooooh my gooooood!” Paola and Hayden sang with glee. Allura on the other hand, felt nothing but love in her heart._

_“What are you going to name him?” Hayden asked after he gently poked the side of Allura’s belly._

_“Yeah,” Paola agreed. “I have suggestions! Maybe Ethan? Or maybe Denzel?”_

_“No.” Allura stared at the ultrasound image on the screen and gently placed a hand on her tummy. This boy was going to conquer the world and the hearts of people the way he had already conquered Allura’s. He will be meant for greater things but at the same time, he will be kind and full of love; she just knew it._

_“No.” Allura finally said while Hayden and Paola watched her. “He’s more…of a… Lance.”_

_A flawless ray of sunshine spearing through darkness._

**End of flashback**

 

“This is a nice shot, isn’t it?” Shiro’s deep voice fished out Allura from the memories that threatened to swallow her from focusing on the task at hand. It’s been such a stressful week with more meetings on Shiro’s part, organizing the hectic schedule and making arrangements, and Keith’s midterm exams were coming up so there’s non-stop tutoring on the designated days.

“Hm?” Allura asked, dazed. She looked at the photograph Shiro placed in front of her on the coffee table. The two of them left the office at noon and went to Shiro’s place to work on the portfolio of the charity event. “Oh, yes, that’s a nice shot.”

“I knew I can count on Vicky’s skills.” Shiro smiled and stretched his arms to crack his stiff joints. “That kid’s talented and I’m sure she’ll go places with it.” But then he frowned when Allura didn’t react at all and stared at the photos that were lined up on the table. “Are you okay?”

Nothing.

“Allura?”

“Huh?” Allura felt her hear slam against her chest when she felt Shiro’s hand on her forehead. “What are you doing?”

“You’re a bit warm.” Shiro’s frown became deeper. “You need to lay back, this thing could wait.”

“I’m fine.” Allura’s eyes widened as she protested. “I’m sure it’ll go away after I rest tonight.”

Shiro studied the woman who sat beside him, lines creasing on his forehead. “Take tomorrow off, then. I’ll call Keith and tell him you can’t make it later.”

“Shiro, I’m fine, really.”

“You’re feverish.” Shiro protested now, completely worried. “Stay there, I’ll make you something warm.”

“Please, you don’t---“ But Shiro already got up to his feet and headed to the kitchen.

“You stubborn man.” Allura groaned to herself and went after him just she heard the sound of a pot being placed on the stove.

Allura was irritated at what a worrywart Shiro was to the point that her own boss would actually cook for her but then when she stepped into the kitchen, the sight of Shiro with an apron over his formal dress shirt was a sight to behold.

“I think there’s some tofu here somewhere.” Allura heard Shiro mutter while he went through the double door fridge. “Oh, here we are.”

“You like to cook?” Allura leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

“When I have the time.” Shiro looked over his shoulder at her and flashed a quick smile. “Cooking impresses the ladies.”

“I’m pretty sure the ladies you try to impress have people to do the cooking for them.” Allura made her way across the kitchen and came to stand behind Shiro who started to work on the soup. She leaned the small of her back against the edge of the marble island counter.

“The woman I’m trying to impress has the cooking prowess of a goddess.” Shiro stirred the soup in the pot and mixed in some miso paste in the concoction. “Along with looking like one.”

“She must be so lucky.” Allura chuckled but her gaze lowered for a moment. “I bet she’s beautiful. What’s she like?”

“Look in the mirror.”

_‘DAMMIT, TAKASHI SHIROGANE. YOU RUINED IT. GREAT!’_

Shiro cleared his throat and focused on stirring the soup a little too quickly. How could he let himself let that damn pick up line slip out? Was that even a pick up line? It was so bad that Shiro wanted to fling himself to the sun and burn.

“Be careful, you might spill it on yourself.”

Allura’s warm fingers wrapped around Shiro’s hand that held the ladle that stirred the soup. Shiro turned to the woman who now stood beside him. “Do it like this or you might hurt yourself.”

Shiro let Allura control the movements of his hand and the two of them stirred the soup. “Is there anything else we should add?”

“This would do nicely.” Shiro replied and Allura let go of his hand and turned around to walk away. Shiro didn’t know how it happened that his body started to move on its own but he certainly knew why; he doesn’t want to let Allura go.

Her breath was caught in her throat when Allura suddenly found herself trapped between the marble island counter and Shiro’s hard body.

“Shiro…” Allura began but then she felt Shiro’s hot breath in the shell of her ear and his arms were braced against the counter with her in the middle. The tattoo sleeve on his right arm stark against the black marble.

“If I may ask, Ms. Calhoun,” he whispered gently and the formal name that rolled along Allura’s nerves like velvet made a strange primal heat bloom within her. It made her heart race in her chest. “What were you thinking when you spaced out earlier?”

“Someone who is best left in the past, sir.” Allura turned around to finally face the man who had her body and her heart captured. “Intrusive thoughts tend to come out when I’m stressed, unfortunately.”

She dared to meet those dark slanted eyes that bore deep into her blue lilac ones. Allura’s mind was blaring in warning that this was wrong; Shiro was her boss. And yet, there’s a small voice that was trying to scream past the turmoil for her to take the chance at it because she really did feel something for Shiro.

“I think I can fix that.” Shiro smiled slowly and it was so goddamn sexy that Allura found her gaze trailing down to Shiro’s bottom lip while her own parted in invitation as Shiro slightly leaned in and experimentally brushed his lips against the softness of Allura’s. “You deserve better.”

It was like electricity jolted their systems but neither one pulled away. Allura wrapped her arms around Shiro’s neck and Shiro in return placed his hands on Allura’s hips and hauled her up to sit on the countertop with her legs slightly parted and Shiro standing right in between.

The kiss became wilder and deeper with their lips locking. Shiro’s fingers pressed against Allura’s hips before his hands slid down to massage her thighs and he felt his muscles tighten and all the blood rush down _south_ when Allura let out a sensual moan.  

“God, no, not like this…” Shiro hissed and broke the kiss but continued to hold Allura in his arms. He gathered her into an embrace and nuzzled the side of her neck. “We can’t.”

“And yet you hold me like this.” Allura breathed in Shiro’s scent as she rested her head on the crook of his shoulder. “It’s because you’re my boss and I’m your secretary.”

“What?” Allura suddenly met those dark eyes when Shiro lifted his head to look at Allura. Their faces were so close within their embrace. “No, screw that; under normal circumstances, yes, but I really, _really_ find you beautiful, Allura.” Shiro trailed off and cleared his throat while he looked away after that bit of confession while Allura stared at him in disbelief but her heart was ready to explode.

“I mean I should at least take you out to a nice romantic dinner before I can kiss you like that.” Shiro finally finished.

“Are you serious?” She asked in surprise and Shiro cocked his head to the side curiously.

“Would you prefer it if I _made_ a romantic dinner instead?” he asked with a smile. Shiro lifted his hand and his thumb caressed Allura’s lower lip that was plumped up from their shared kiss.

A smile broke out from Allura’s features no matter how hard she fought it back and Shiro found himself grinning back at her.

“I have nothing else scheduled for the rest of the day, my dear Ms. Calhoun?”

That earned him a playful smack on the shoulder from the woman who sat on his countertop and whom he still held in his arms like she was the most cherished person in the world. Shiro didn’t remember the last time he felt like this… not since those days when he was younger and was in love with a woman who chose his best friend instead.

Shiro never held it against Hyuna and Lucas; he was happy for them. But the underlying reality of it was that Shiro loved Hyuna and cared about Lucas enough to let them go and be happy with each other. He didn’t even feel any form of ill feelings towards Keith who was the fruit of Hyuna and Lucas’s love. Taking in Keith under his wing was Shiro’s own way of honoring the memory of the two people who both held a part of him. And even if Keith was difficult, he didn’t regret taking him in.

Shiro’s always been the odd one out in the Shirogane family; where his father was detached, Shiro valued family. Where Sven collapsed under their mother’s demands and expectations, Shiro dared to rebel and became a cop. Where Kimiko was selfish and controlling, Shiro was selfless.

“Nothing.” Allura shook her head and she ran her fingers to comb through Shiro’s black hair peppered with silver. “Dinner sounds nice. I can help you make it.”

“Wait, you’re still sick.” Shiro frowned. “I think you should go get comfortable on the couch while I make dinner.”

 “I’m fine, I’m not sick so please don’t be too paranoid. We can make dinner together later if you want.” Allura then craned her head up to close in the distance between them and Shiro smiled as their lips brushed against each other in a gentle kiss. However, when he was about to deepen the kiss, the pot’s lid started to clatter when the soup came to a boil.

Shiro sighed in utter frustration while Allura laughed.

“Go on, it’ll get overcooked. I won’t go anywhere.”

Stubbornly, Shiro still swooped in to steal a kiss from Allura’s lips before he walked off to the stove to finish off cooking the soup. Allura watched Shiro whose head was bent over the soup pot as he finished stirring and turned off the stove.

Allura was scarred inside and the reluctant fear she had was a constant reminder of how she was casted out by the people she trusted and expected to be by her side through thick and thin. She said ‘never again’, but maybe she should take Lance’s advice and take her chances on this beautiful man who treated her well and who wore that silly apron when he cooked.

~

“I mean, you’re a complete romantic, Lance.” Hunk said as he and Lance walked down the aisle of lockers. “If there’s anyone I can go to for advice on what to give Shay for her birthday, it’s you.”

“Aw, Hunk,” Lance grinned brightly but he had that usual cocky look on his face. “You came to the right guy.”

Lance’s class just finish gym and Hunk was on break period so the two of them decided to hang for a bit before they had to resume their afternoon classes. Since Shay’s birthday was coming up, Hunk was frantic to the point of panic on what to give his girlfriend.

“Make sure it’s made with love.” Lance said while he wiped his face with a small towel. His sneakers squeaked through the polished floor of the partially crowded hallway. Since it was already break period for most classes, many of the students were outside in the courtyard or wherever in Altea they hung out.

“Do you think she’ll like it if I baked her a cake?” Hunk perked up. “She likes chocolate. Oh, oh! Maybe a picnic? I’ll bring flowers and maybe a bear.”

“Don’t forget the kisses, bro.”

“Lance.” Hunk groaned. “That’s personal. Just… the more public details?”

“Take her on the date?” Lance suggested and the two of them stopped in front of his locker.

“Do you expect me to break into private property like your boyfriend did?” Hunk wagged his eyebrows at Lance who in return, rolled his eyes but the tanned skin over his cheekbones turned red.

“Shut up, Hunk.” Lance muttered grumpily. “Keith doesn’t like crowds so he got a special early access, okay?”

“Riiiight.”

“Fuck you, man.” Lance just grinned smugly while Hunk chuckled heartily. “Lay off my boyfriend and worry about your girl’s birthday present.”

But when Lance turned to his locker to get his bag and change back into his uniform, his smile turned to a frown when he noticed that his lock was broken.

“What the hell?” Lance muttered and Hunk looked over, his brown eyes darkening.

“Was your lock broken like this already?” the senior asked but Lance shook his head.

“It was fine before I started gym class.” Lance removed the broken lock that was just hooked on and studied the piece of metal. The way the hinge was broken told that it was forced. Dread filled up Lance’s chest, but the more prominent emotion he felt was anger and irritation.

“If this is some kind of joke,” hunk scowled. “I don’t like it.”

“Me too.” Lance slowly opened his locker and he and Hunk peered in.

Everything looked normal; Lance’s books, valuables, skateboard, and bag were all intact except for one thing.

Whenever Lance would go to gym class, he would leave his glasses in his locker so he doesn’t break them while running around or doing whatever the hell they did in the said class. However, right now, Lance’s glasses were on top of his bag and it was snapped cleanly in half.

“Did you break your glasses, Lance?”

And as if he forgot to speak, Lance shook his head and eyed his phone that was peeking out of the side pocket of his bag; there was a small blue light the blinked on the device that meant that there was an unread text message.

Lance took the phone and opened the message with Hunk towering behind him and he read the message as well.

Again, it was from the same number.

**_Don’t tell anyone if you don’t want your friends dragged into this, Calhoun. Consider this a warning._ **

****

“Fuck.” Lance gritted and quickly hid his phone. “Hunk, you need to go. You can’t be seen with me right now. They might be watching.”

“I can handle myself.” Hunk hissed back and he glared at Lance. “Why didn’t you tell us you were being harassed?!”

“I’ll be fine!” Lance tore his gaze away and glared at another direction. He carefully watched each student that was in the hallway with them and panic jacked up his heart rate but he knew he had to stay focused and think of a solution. However, telling someone was not on his list right now.

“I can handle this.” Lance continued. “I’ve had my share of bullies and I know how to beat them, okay? Don’t tell anyone; not Pidge, not Shay, not mom, and especially NOT Keith. He’s got a reckless temper and I don’t want him going on a rabid rampage because of me; he’s under behavioral probation.”

“Bro, please…” Hunk pleaded. Hunk knew that Lance had a level of stubbornness wherein he believed that he can handle anything. He didn’t want to trouble other people and he had a bad habit of putting everything on his shoulders despite the fact that the weight of it all could crush him. Because that’s Lance Calhoun; stubborn, caring, and has a habit of shooting himself on the foot for the sake of the people he cared about.

“I’ll be fine. They’ll get tired if I just ignore them and make them see that their threats don’t scare me.” Lance jabbed a thumb at himself and grinned confidently. “Bullies want you to be miserable. If I continue to be happy as I am, then fuck them in the face, they’ll give up. I won’t give them the satisfaction.”

Hunk stared at Lance for a moment and a shadow of worry flicker along his dark irises. “Okay, but promise me that you’ll tell when it gets out of hand.”

“Yeah.” Lance nodded.

“Bro code?”

“Bro code.”

And that was the start of one of the biggest mistakes of Lance’s life.

~

“Enter.” Kimiko’s voice was distant while she occupied herself with reading a book in the study. On her signal, the door opened and the servant Fuyumi, walked in with a manila envelope tucked underneath her arm and a tray of fresh tea in her hands.

Kimiko ignored the girl as Fuyumi served the tea first and didn’t even bother to say thank you when the younger finished. Carefully, she turned a page of the old book she was holding. The pages had already turned brown and it smelled like mildew. The spine was traditionally bound by twine and the letters were written by hand.

Fuyumi clasped her pale hands over her lap as she stood beside the table with her head bent down in respect while she waited to be addressed.

“What is it, child?” Kimiko asked dismissively and she sounded a bit annoyed.

“I have what you asked for, madam.” Fuyumi’s voice was prim and soft while her dark eyes stared on the carpeted floor of the study. When Kimiko lowered the book she was reading before she closed it and placed it on her lap, Fuyumi took that as a signal to lift her head.

“Do tell me.”

Carefully, the girl opened the manila envelope and laid out pictures and files one by one before her mistress.

“Master Takashi is doing well in America.” Fuyumi began to explain. She then waved a hand to gesture at some photos. “Recently, he sponsored a charity even for a local children’s hospital and was able to successfully raise two million dollars for it.”

“And where did the money go?” Kimiko asked and she took a picture from the ones laid out in front of her on the table.

“It was used to fund hearing aids for the children and purchase additional equipment for the hospital, madam.”

Kimiko’s frown reflected her distaste. “Two million dollars is measly but I wish Takashi used it for more practical reasons for Voltron. And the boy?”

Fuyumi gently pushed a photograph of Keith with earbuds on. He was sitting with a group of friends in what looked like a café and they appeared to be studying.

“I’ve contacted our source from Altea to get an early access on Keith Kogane’s current grades.” Fuyumi continued. “According to it, his grades have been rising because it appears that master Takashi has hired a tutor for him.”

“Wasting time, effort, and money for this…thing. Why am I not surprised?” Kimiko heaved a breath and distracted herself by looking at the other pictures. She then noticed a picture where Takashi was seen walking with a woman Kimiko had never seen before. She had dark skin, hair that was silver but gradually turned black as it neared the roots of her head, and bright blue eyes. The way she and Takashi laughed and how close there were appeared very suspicious.

“Who is she?”

Fuyumi took out a tablet and scrolled through the information files. “That is Allura Calhoun, madam. She is Keith’s tutor but the young master had hired her to be his executive secretary as well after he terminated the last one.

Kimiko watched as Fuyumi gestured to another photograph at the end of the arranged line. It was a photo of Keith and another young man with dark tanned skin, dark brown hair, and blue eyes. Keith was holding the other by the wrist and it looked like he was dragging the other away from the school.

“Allura Calhoun has a son, Lance.” The servant said while she maintained a tone of respect as she narrated. “Lance goes to Altea under the free scholarship program and he has been in the honor roll since his freshmen year. Coincidentally, he is in the same class as Keith.”

Kimiko noticed a same pattern from the photos, these two boys appeared close as well. “Where is his father?”

“The boy doesn’t have one, madam.” Fuyumi replied. “Allura conceived him in her late teens and raised him on her own.”

“A child out of wedlock, hm?” Kimiko arched a perfectly defined brow. So that was it, Takashi had taken interest in a defiled woman with a fatherless child and the charity case known as Keith happens to be very close with Allura’s son.

First, Takashi disobeys her, then he takes in kid from god-knows-where, and now, he casted out a potential bride-to-be with an impeccable and elite background for a common harlot. This only meant one thing: Takashi is going to get himself into scandal for his habit of taking whatever he saw move on the street.

Kimiko lifted her hand and massaged her right temple to ease the migraine that throbbed. “Fuyumi, take these photographs away, they make me cringe.”

With a silent nod, the servant girl started to clear away the contents that on top of the table and kept them in the manila envelope. Fuyumi waited until Kimiko finished taking a sip of her tea;

“Fuyumi.”

“Yes, madam?”

Kimiko lowered the polished clay cup on the tray with both of her hands and she locked her dark gaze into Fuyumi’s docile ones. The girl immediately tore her eyes away and looked down on the floor in respect, knowing that she did not have the right to look her mistress in the eye.

“What are my arrangements for the next few days?” Kimiko smoothed out silk of the blood red kimono she wore today, her fingers brushing against the details of the phoenix weaved through the fabric with gold thread.

“You are scheduled to attend the funeral the late head of the Yoshimura family.” Fuyumi replied. “After that, you have a doctor’s appointment for your monthly check-up followed by sponsoring the wedding of Daisuke Miyamoto’s eldest daughter.”

“And the following week?”

“It is free as of the moment, my lady.”

Kimiko closed her eyes and laced her fingers over her lap in a pristine manner. She had to step in or Voltron, if not the Shirogane family’s image, would be stained by Takashi’s choices. She couldn’t help but compare how rebellious Takashi was compared to Soichiro which obviously made her younger son her least favorite among the two.

It was such a loss to her assets that her eldest son died suddenly and she had to rely on Takashi to take over. Kimiko had to pull every string she had just to get Takashi to agree and in which, he did. But now, all the efforts Kimiko had done to keep Voltron through Takashi is under threat.

Kimiko will not lose her last pawn to a lowly harlot.

“Good.” Those sharp eyes that were dark as night, opened. She looked at the servant girl before she stood up from her chair and walked to the window to watch the perfectly manicured lawn of the estate.

“Make sure it stays that way and make the necessary preparations for my trip.” Kimiko didn’t bother to look at Fuyumi and instead watched the pink petals that fell on the old sakura tree in the middle of the courtyard.

“It’s time to pay my irresponsible son a visit.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FRIENDLY PSA: Shiro got a hard on. I'll leave you with that. Have a nice day!!!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do I ever, Do I ever cross your mind?  
> Not trying to ruin your happiness at all."
> 
> -Ruin, Shawn Mendes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEEKLY UPDATE TIME! Have you guys seen the VLD S2 trailer? It killed me. IT KILLED ME, REVIVED ME, THEN KILLED ME AGAIN. SHIRO. SHIROOOOOO!!!!! Anyway, here you go, everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, I posted the Shallura moodboard on my tumblr as a token of thanks and for the establishment of their budding relationship (Fucking finally!) in this chapter. Oh and by the way, I love talking to you guys so please don't be shy to hit me up on tumblr! 
> 
> http://lightoflunaris.tumblr.com/post/151746880026/and-then-shiro-said-i-really-care-about-you
> 
> A/N: Song and lyrics are from Ruin by Shawn Mendes. It is also the song for this chapter! :D 
> 
> See you guys in the next update and thank you very much again!

Chapter 21

Allura was grateful for the nap she had while she was curled up on Shiro’s couch, all wrapped up with a comforter like a burrito.

“Wake up, beautiful.”

Allura felt a warm kiss press on her temple along with the rough tickling of stubble grazing along her skin.

“It’s ready.” Shiro smiled when Allura opened her eyes and looked up at him. A small smile lifted on her lips while she sat up.

“I honestly feel bad for letting you make dinner alone.” She said, now fully sitting up on the couch.

Shiro watched Allura and took note of the small details that he found enticing; her blue lilac eyes with her long lashes fanned down halfway through from still being a little bit sleepy, her long wavy hair was a silvery black cascade down her back, and her lips that he wanted to kiss into wakefulness.

“It’s fine.” It was a gentle reply. Allura got to her feet and stretched her arms while she let out a soft mewling moan from the relief she felt in her joints. “Feeling better?”

“Yes.” Allura nodded. “I told you that I’ll be fine after some rest.”

“Hey, let me worry about you too.” Shiro chuckled and stepped behind Allura. She felt a shiver run down her spine before it burst into heat along her nerves when Shiro placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to whisper in the shell of her ear;

“Could you close your eyes for me?” his voice was deep and languid. It made Allura’s heart hum and quicken. She did as he asked and closed her eyes while Shiro gently placed his hands over her eyes.

“Do you really think I’ll sneak a peep?” Allura smiled and bit her lower lip at the sound of Shiro’s breathy whisper.

“It won’t hurt to make sure. Come on, follow my lead.”

Allura allowed herself to be towed by Shiro around the penthouse. They ended up sharing giggles whenever Allura would bump onto a piece of furniture or if Shiro fooled around and purposely made her bump onto furniture before he said ‘oops’.

“Shiro, I swear on my aunt Diana’s grave, I will take back that two liter jar of blueberry jam if you---“ Allura’s words were halted when she heard the sound of the sliding glass doors that led to the spacious balcony. The sounds of the wind and the city filled her ears and locks of her hair danced in the breeze.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Allura’s lashes fluttered when she opened them.

A soft gasp slipped past her lips at the sight in front of her; there was a table set up with dinner for two. The center piece was a white vase filled with red roses and there were petals on the white linen that covered the table. There was music softly playing on a wireless speaker somewhere that was connected to Shiro’s phone via Bluetooth. The veranda lights were turned on to set the mood and the universe conspired with Shiro and allowed it to be a cloudless night with the full moon and the constellations out.

“Shiro, this is…” Allura began but she ended up closing her mouth due to the loss of words.

“It would have been better if I had more time to prepare.” Shiro shrugged. “But I was able to call up Vicky to send in a fresh batch of roses from the shop across their restaurant.”

Unknown to Allura, Shiro also called up Keith to kick him out for evening so he could enjoy it with Allura.

 ** _‘Yeah, sure, I’ll be with Lance and I can study with the others at the café.’_** Keith had replied over the phone. **_‘Oh, and could you not fuck on the dining table? We eat there.’_**

Then he hung up before Shiro could even say anything, leaving the other utterly red, flustered, and speechless.

“So, do you like it?” Shiro asked but his tone held a slight shaky edge of nervousness.

“I…” Allura heaved in a deep breath along with her smile. “I love it, Shiro.”

“Great!” Shiro led Allura to one of the seats and pulled it out like gentleman. “Here.”

“I’m not even dressed for the occasion.” Allura tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before she sat down and settled her hands on her lap. She felt a little uneasy because she still wore her office clothes since this date of theirs came out of the blue. If given more time, Allura would have dressed up for the evening.

“Hm?” Shiro took a champagne bottle that he allowed to sit in a small bucket of ice. “What are you talking about?” he gestured at himself. “I mean, look at me.” He still wore his office clothes as well with the jacket off and the dark blue dress shirt’s sleeves folded up to his elbows. He popped open the champagne bottle and poured the golden liquid into the glass flute beside Allura’s plate.

“Thank you.” Allura smiled and Shiro had to take a moment’s pause to take in the beauty of it. He really did like it whenever Allura smiled at him like that; it felt like a shared intimacy that was exclusively reserved for him.

“I hope you enjoy your evening.”

“I already am.” Allura replied and looked at the plate of warm food that was set in front of her. It looked similar to the steak Shiro ordered at the Little Glass Garden and when she took a sniff, a rich aroma of herbs filled her nose. “This looks delicious.”

“Vicky was nice enough to give me the recipe so I can make it at home.” Shiro said. “I rarely have to time to cook but tonight is special.”

Allura lowered her gaze and felt her cheeks burn at the underlying compliment. When she got this job as Keith’s tutor, she never thought that she would find herself sitting across her boss with a romantic dinner _he_ made right on the rooftop veranda of his lavish penthouse.

“Please,” Shiro gestured at the food. “Try it?”

When Allura took a bite of it, she went motionless while her eyes slightly widened. “Wow…”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Allura started poking the steak with her fork to examine the texture. “How did… How did you do this, Shiro? This isn’t how it is at Vicky’s, this is better!”

“It’s made with love.”

At those words, Allura wasn’t sure how to respond. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and it was sending strange feelings all over her system. Her mind was racing with thoughts and ‘what ifs’; was Shiro just trying to flirt with her or was there an underlying and subtle confession within those words? Allura tried to read between the lines but how could she understand where there are so many interpretations hidden in them?

Shiro then noticed the way Allura’s eyebrows scrunched up over her eyes and the look of confusion in her face. “Allura.”

“Yes?”

“Relax.” Shiro smiled at her yet his tone was gentle. “Enjoy the food and the evening.”

“You’re right.” Allura nodded and started on her food. Shiro felt relief when he read the look of satisfaction on her face when she savored her food. He then thought back to the little scene from earlier;

_“Someone who is best left in the past, sir.”_

If Shiro could go back in time, he would change so many things; keep Sven alive, save Hyuna and Lucas among others. But now, there was a new item in the list; make sure to beat the fuck out of that asshole who hurt Allura. Whoever this dickwad was, he was making it harder for Shiro to actually woo Allura because she was so guarded.

“Like I said, I actually like to cook.” Shiro started a conversation. “But I just don’t have the time for it anymore, although I don’t think too highly of my skills.”

“But this is delicious!” Allura countered the assumption. “I’m curious, who taught you?”

“No one.” Shiro replied and he lowered his fork as memories ran through his mind like a soundless movie. “Growing up, I had could have anything I wanted. My mother didn’t care what I did when my brother was alive and my parents would get off my back as long as I kept my mouth shut. I learned the essentials such as cooking when I left to be a cop here.”

“What was your brother like?” Allura found herself asking. “He’s your predecessor, right?”

“Yeah.” Shiro nodded. “His name is Soichiro but he went by the name Sven. It’s a name he picked up after studying in Europe because his name is too long to pronounce for a lot of people there.” He paused. “Sven is… an amazing brother; he’s so kind and he had a heart of gold.”

Allura then noticed a shadow pass over Shiro’s handsome features as he slowly got carried away. “But that also became his downfall. Mother was able to control him to follow her wishes to become the head of Voltron and that made him unhappy.”

Shiro recalled how miserable Sven looked whenever he visited him. Even when he smiled, Shiro saw the misery behind it because of the tight leash he was in. He tried to convince Sven to resign but his older brother would only shake his head and say that it was ‘his duty’ as the first born. But when Sven died and Shiro was forced to answer to his duty as the next in line, did he only see why Sven was so miserable; Kimiko was controlling.

There was twang of pain that poked at Allura’s heart at the story Shiro told her. It really seemed that his older brother was miserable. “But what about you?” she was concerned now about Shiro now and she felt a sense of distaste towards how Shiro’s mother treated her sons. “Do you like what you do?”

“I have to. I was raised to have a sense of duty, after all.” Shiro admitted. “But I get by so you don’t have to be worried.”

“But I am.” Allura’s tone had an edge of stubborn determination and Shiro slightly tilted his head to the side while he watched her. “Please, think about yourself too. Do what makes you happy.”

“I’ll…” Taken back by those headstrong words, Shiro couldn’t find a proper reply. “Keep that in mind. Thank you, Allura.”

“Part of my job is making sure you don’t overwork yourself.”

At that, Shiro felt something in him fling itself over the 40 storey drop. Was this all about Allura’s job description?

“And besides,” Shiro saw Allura slightly lower her gaze and he caught sight of her biting her lower lip as if she was pondering if she should speak. But then, she did; “Seeing you happy makes me happy.” That was it; the words of concern were out and she saw Shiro stiffen and stare at her as she peeked from underneath her lashes.

Then, she returned the exchange and told her story.

“His name,” Allura began. “is Owen. Owen Montano, Lance’s biological father. I met him on my sophomore year in college and he was an IT major.”

The name burned itself into Shiro’s memory but it made its way to his black list.

“We dated for a while,” Allura continued. “And well, you know teenagers.” A shaky laugh and Allura took a moment to sip some champagne to calm her nerves. “Before holiday break, I became pregnant with Lance. I told Owen, but he said that he didn’t want to do anything with it and he didn’t care what I did with the baby because he didn’t want any part in raising Lance.”

 _‘That son of a---‘_ Shiro’s knuckles turned white and hoped then Allura didn’t notice the way he clenched his hand into a fist.

“After that, I went home for the holidays.” Allura breathed. “And well, my parents were not pleased with the news. Being a small time but well known business owner in our town, my father was very strict with keeping appearances. He told me to get rid of it…Of Lance.” She trailed off. “But I didn’t want to so he told me to get out of his sight. We haven’t spoken in a very long time but sometimes my mother would call.” She shook her head at the disappointment she felt towards her father.

“He didn’t even want to meet Lance.” The words tasted bitter as they rolled down her tongue. “My mother visits when she can but my dad… well…”

“It’s his loss.” Shiro said. “He won’t be able to see… to know how wonderful Lance had turned out. I mean, look at him; he’s in the honor roll, he’s a great kid, he has life goals, and hell, don’t even get me started on how crazy Keith is for him.”

That made Allura smiled brightly. “Thank you, Shiro. You’re wonderful, you know that?”

“Allura.” Shiro heaved a deep breath and he felt emotion swell in his chest. He looked at her from across the round table and he noticed the way the veranda lights made Allura’s dark skin glow while the moon and stars shone down on her from above. Shiro clenched the cutlery he held and finally placed them down on his plate.

“Yes?” Allura did the same but there was a look of unsureness on her face. Did she fuck up? Did her story  change the way Shiro saw her?  

Shiro had to say something to let her know, he needed her to know how he felt. With a woman as guarded as Allura, there was a chance for rejection but Shiro was willing to risk it.

“I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.” There was a look of tenderness in his expression and it made something in Allura bloom.

“Oh, please, you diddle dally a lot, now, don’t you?” Allura reached over the table with a napkin on her hand and gently dabbed it on the corner of Shiro’s mouth. The act immediately made Shiro’s eyes widen and he could only watch as Allura smiled at him;

“You missed a spot.” She said and it made Shiro chuckle but before Allura was able to pull her hand back, Shiro took it into his own and pressed a kiss on the back of it.

“Shiro.”

“Allura, I mean it. I wish you could see how beautiful you truly are.”

The stars gazed down at them from the velvet sky and Allura felt like the whole world stopped when Shiro took her hand that was pressed against his lips and placed her warm palm on his cheek before he nuzzled into it, but his eyes never left hers.

And then he said;

“I really care about you. And if you’re alright with it, I’d like to ask you to take your chances with me. I want to give you the love you deserve.”

_Love._

The silence they shared in those few minutes was overtaken by the thundering thuds of their hearts which in that very moment, beat as one.

“Food’s getting cold.” Her words were gentle as Allura let her fingers trail down Shiro’s cheek. “We can’t let this amazing steak go to waste.”

The chuckled that escaped Shiro after Allura pulled her hand away was rich and deep. “If you like it that much, I can teach you how to make it next time.”

 _Next time._ Her heart sang.

The rest of their dinner was pleasant and Shiro had moved his chair closer so he now sat beside Allura. The two of them jumped from one conversation topic to another and they shared laughter as the evening grew older. They finished the bottle of champagne and had a slice of blueberry cheesecake that Shiro always had ready in the fridge in case he was attacked by the 3 AM cravings.

When it was time to clean up, Allura insisted on helping out despite Shiro’s polite protests. However, this was Shiro’s home and she was still a guest. Shiro had already done so much by preparing food for her and even a full date set up, she should at least do her part and help him put the things away.

They worked like a flawless duo as they moved around the kitchen. Shiro had moved the Bluetooth speaker inside and it sat on the counter while it played the songs from Shiro’s phone while they were occupied with cleaning.

_Do ya?  
Do you think about me?_

_Do you feel the same way, babe?_

 

The soft twangs of the electric guitar from Shawn Mendes’s song, Ruin, swirled around the kitchen. Shiro’s busy hands paused in the midst of their task and he placed down the paper tower he was holding, Allura, however, remained oblivious as she merrily hummed softly along with the song, knowing the tune but not the lyrics.

 _And, do ya?_  
Do you remember how we felt?  
'Cause I do  
So listen to me, baby.

Allura was putting away the plates when she felt firm hands rest on her shoulder and slowly spun her around until she came face to face with Shiro.

“What are you doing?” Allura asked and it felt like her skin was on fire when Shiro’s callused fingers grazed along the length of her arm and he placed one hand on the dip of her waist while the other reached up to brush a disheveled silver lock of hair away from her face.

“I have two left feet but please bear with me, Allura.”

 

 _And I'm not tryina ruin your happiness,_  
But darling don't you know that  
I'm the only one for ya? 

 

When Shiro pulled Allura close to his body, she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck while he placed his around her waist.

_And, do ya?_  
Do you think about me at all?  
And, do you  
Do you feel the same way? Oh Tell me, babe

 

They swayed around the kitchen and nothing else mattered in the world; it was just them slow dancing to the soft rhythm of the song. They weren’t just boss and secretary now, they were more than that. Allura wasn’t just Keith’s tutor to Shiro, she was a treasure that made his heart beat in ways he barely remembered and made him feel things that he thought he would never feel again.

Boldly, Allura stood on her toes and leaned up to press her forehead against Shiro’s with the tips of their noses barely touching.

There were no words between them but their eyes said what they felt. However, this time, it was Allura who closed the distance and pressed her lips against his. It was so tender that they stopped swaying and held each other, too lost in their kiss.

 

 _I'm not tryina ruin your happiness_  
But darling don't you know that  
I'm the only one for ya?

 

Shiro closed his eyes and Allura did the same when she parted her lips to grant entrance for Shiro, deepening their kiss. Nothing mattered. Nothing mattered right now but that moment. Nothing mattered but each other.

“What do you say?” Shiro asked when they broke the kiss and heaved in from their breathlessness.

It was a spontaneous last minute date, something Shiro wished he had more time to prepare for but the moment just swept him away to jump at the chance. However, Allura thought it was perfect and in that very moment in time, she secretly admitted two things to herself;

One, she loved Shiro’s delicious, mean-ass steak.

Two, she took the chance and allowed herself to love him.

“I don’t see why not.” Allura smiled radiantly.

 

_Do I ever, Do I ever cross your mind?  
Not trying to ruin your happiness at all_

 

~

Allura turned the knob after she unlocked the door to her apartment. It was already 11 PM when she got home after Shiro dropped her off but not after a few more kisses while they were in the car.

Their living room was pitch black and Allura instinctively felt the wall for the switch with her hand. When light flooded the room, Lance was sitting on their couch, crossed legged, and swirling a glass of apple juice in his hand. He gave his mother a sassy, knowing look;

“Well, well, well,” he smirked. “This is blue chick from mission control. Mother hen has arrived.”

“Lance, why are you still up?” Allura frowned but her eyes were wide and her face was flustered.

“Because bed time became null in void when I turned fifteen.” Lance shrugged and took a sip of apple juice. “So, did you kiss him?”

“Lance!” Allura exclaimed but she tore her eyes away and scowled at the little ballerina figurine by the shelf. “I resent your tone, young man.”

“So you didn’t kiss him?” Keith’s head popped out from the kitchen door way. He fully stepped out with a glass of apple juice as well. His uniform was all wrinkled with his tie lose around his neck and his sleeves were folded up to his shoulders. His uniform jacket was draped on the couch backrest beside Lance. “The universe isn’t too happy about that.”

“Keith, what are you---“ Allura began as she was caught off guard. “I mean well, I did---“

“Daaaaaamn, mom!” Lance cheered and laughed, slapping his knee in utter glee while Keith grinned.

“I’m on my way home. Lance tutored me so you can enjoy your little date with Shiro.” Keith said and Lance’s hand subtly went to pull up the collar of his shirt to cover the hickey on the base of his throat.

“I’ll go see him out.” Lance stood up from the couch and handed Keith his uniform jacket while Keith slung his bag over his back.

“Shiro was just here, why didn’t you join him on the way home?” Allura asked and her brows furrowed in confusion.

“As if I’d bother Shiro while he’s on a date.” Keith gave a soft ‘heh’ and took his jacket from Lance before he picked up the black motorcycle helmet that was by the shelf on the door. “I have my bike with me. I’ll get home in five minutes.” Since Shiro’s still distracted and head over heels over Allura, he hasn’t remembered to take back the Ducati yet.

“Keith.” Lance’s voice hardened with an underlying scolding tone and he frowned at raven haired teen with a look of worry in his blue eyes. 

“Fine. Fifteen minutes.” Keith sighed but he appreciated that Lance cared enough to remind him to slow down.

“Well, alright then.” Allura nodded but she did notice that Keith is also stubborn like Shiro. “Take care.”

 

~

The Ducati was parked on the small common backyard behind the apartment building. Keith hopped on and the bike purred to life when he started it.

“You’re all set?” Lance asked as he handed Keith’s helmet.

“Yeah, don’t worry, baby.” Keith nodded and took the helmet. He then noticed that Lance reached up to rub his eyes.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” Lance replied and his smile was back instantly. “Just some eye strain.”

“Where are your glasses?” Keith asked. “I haven’t seen you wear them since Elric’s class.”

Lance just stared at Keith, unsure how to respond. If he told him about the text messages and the threats, Keith will surely get angry and do God-knows-what that might finalize his behavioral probation into expulsion. Besides, the anon texter warned him not to tell anyone or his friends will get hurt. Lance wouldn’t risk them no matter what that was why he was going to deal with this on his own.

To keep his friends safe, to keep the one man he cherished that most safe… he would gladly keep them in the dark.

“Lance?” Keith frowned. “Is…everything okay?”

“Yeah, it is.” Lance blurted. “I accidentally sat on them this morning.” He reached back to scratch the back of his head. “I, uh… I’m going to pull extra shifts at the café to replace them.”

“I can help you pay for them.” Keith offered. “It’s no big deal.”

“Nope!” Lance shook his head. “The lenses are customized to fit my eye grade and a hundred bucks isn’t something you just give away.”

Keith gave a look of curious disbelief. “Lance, those are just my shoes.”

Lance sighed. “Alright, listen here, Richie Rich, it’s okay, really.” He gave a small smile to comfort Keith and reached up to weave his fingers through the other’s hair. “I still have my old pair and I can use those until I get new ones by the end of the week.”

“Okay.” Keith replied and Lance took a step closer before he leaned in to press a kiss on Keith’s lips which the other returned deeply.

“You’re getting good at kissing.” Keith smirked when they pulled back for air. His fingers gently pulled down Lance’s shirt collar to expose the dark hickey he put there when they took a little ‘study break’. “So good that you’re starting to make me forget that I’m supposed to be a gentleman.”

Lance snorted and laughed happily but his face was red from a distinct blush from Keith’s words. They didn’t go past the make out point but it got a little too…hot. They weren’t going to rush sex but it was obvious that the idea played in their minds.

“Just get home safely, Keith.” Lance watched Keith put on his helmet and he leaned in to put a small hiss on the tip of Keith’s nose which earned him a blush from the raven haired teen. “Be careful or I’ll kick your ass.”

“Yessir.” There was an amused twinkled in Keith’s violet eyes and he flipped down the visor of his helmet. With a final wave, Keith was gone along with the revving cries of the Ducati that grew fainter as he disappeared down the street.

When Lance started out inside, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out, thinking that it was probably Pidge.

Oh, he was so wrong;

**Heard ur dating Keith now. And here I thought I u were smart.**

Having enough of this stupid game, Lance decided to reply;

**Leave me alone. It’s not your business.**

It wasn’t long when Lance got a new message.

**Ur either stupid or ur a masochistic little shit who enjoys the idea of being toyed with by one of Altea’s biggest assholes. I guess ur still blind even without ur fucking glasses. If only u knew the terrible things he said about u...**

Lance made a ‘tch’ sound as he gritted his teeth in anger but he knew he had to be the bigger person here. He decided not reply at all and trust in what he knew; these people didn’t know Keith like he did.

“Fuck you, anon.” Lance hissed and clenched his phone before he kept it back into his pocket. “You’re wrong.”

At least, deep inside, he hoped they were wrong.

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Altea Prep Survival Tip #332: You do not, under any circumstances, fuck with Keith Kogane's squad or his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't get a moment of rest during the past two weeks because it was finals week in gradschool. I'm sure I died and came back to life then died again. Thank you for patiently waiting for the update, my dearies! The stats of our stories have ballooned during my absence and I have you to thank for that. So thank you. Also... SOMEONE MADE FANART FOR THE STORY!!! 
> 
> This is by ghosty-graveyard / ghostpajamas from tumblr!  
>  **http://lightoflunaris.tumblr.com/post/152276469296/ghosty-graveyard-art-for-lightoflunaris-s-fic**
> 
> A new character moodboard is also up on my tumblr to celebrate this chapter! Check it out... It's green ;D
> 
> Anyway, thank you very much for all the love and the support you've expressed. Please don't be shy to let me know your beautiful thoughts or show me your creations. I appreciate all of my readers and I'm so happy that I'm able to bring smiles to your faces. :)
> 
> This is the start for all of you thirsty kids. I'm going to up kick the the rating a notch higher. 
> 
> Chapter warning: Violence, strong language, and a sexually charged Klance.

Chapter 22

Keith half jogged to their usual picnic table underneath the big oak tree. Hunk and Shay were already there while Pidge was running behind him since the two of them came from the same class. Lance, on the other hand, told the two of them to go ahead and that he’ll just catch up since he needed to pick up something from his locker.

“Keith, wait up!” They called from behind and shrugged their shoulders to balance the big backpack they carried. “I have itty bitty legs!”

“You wish!” Keith looked from over his shoulder and he gave Pidge a teasing grin. “You’re going to eat all of the dessert.”

“That is an invalid argument, Keith Kogane!” Pidge huffed as they caught up to Keith. “I earned most of those shares through won bets, thank you very much!”

“Riiiiight.”

As they walked behind a building, Pidge spotted a group of students smoking by the bleachers. They stopped in their tracks to identify the students and saw that it was the Bitch Group. They were comprised of four senior students with, of course, Nyma, as the centerpiece. When Pidge looked around, they didn’t see any security cameras which placed the bleachers into a blind spot.

“That’s not right.” Pidge grunted and started towards the group.

“What’s not ri---“ Keith was about to ask when Pidge marched away from him and went on a beeline towards Nyma’s group. “Oh, shit, Pidge, wait up!”

Keith went after Pidge to stop them before shit went down and Nyma struck back like a crazy assed snake wearing a Barbie wig. What put Pidge in a school vigilante mood?

Then, Keith remembered that Pidge was a member of the volunteers for the Altean Student Council since it was considered as training for aspiring students who were planning to run for office on their senior year.  

“Nyma,” Pidge huffed as they put their foot down. “I would like to remind you that Altea is a No Smoking Zone.”

However, Nyma just gave Pidge a snooty look and sized them up from head to toe with those shrewd cornflower blue eyes of her.

“Allison, did you hear something?” Nyma asked mockingly to one of her companions. The redhead known as Allison snorted back a laugh.

“Sorry, I don’t speak loser.”

Pidge narrowed their eyes behind their round rimless glasses at the students. “Haha. Really mature.” They retorted. “Now, could you put those away?”

In response, Nyma stepped forward while she took a drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke on Pidge’s face, making them stagger back and cough.

“Hey!” Keith snapped and he immediately placed himself in front of Pidge protectively. “Quit being a bitch, Nyma! You know that’s against the rules!”

“Says one of the chain smokers in school.” This time, the male student stepped forward to stand beside Nyma. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his uniform and offered it to Keith. “Why not join us, Kogane? Maybe this will loose you up a bit.”

Keith glared at the senior student who he identified as Reedus. He’s heard tons about this guy’s family from Shiro mostly because they’re a supplier for Voltron. His gaze fell to stare at the cigarettes that were being offered to him and he remembered the promise he made to Lance when they first snuck out to the beach some time ago.

Lance made him return the favor of getting his drunk ass from the park and went as far as staying overnight at Shiro’s place so that he can take care of Keith. Instead, he found himself tied to a promise because according to Lance, each stick of cigarette shortens one’s life by eleven minutes and he really cared for Keith.

It was a challenge for Keith and he felt his fingers twitch while his system told him to accept. However, he wasn’t going to break his promise to Lance. He will never break any promise he made or will make to Lance.

“No.” Was Keith’s hard reply. “I quit so take that thing out of my face, Reedus.”

“Aw, come on!” Reedus laughed. “Is it because of your new friends?” He sneered at Pidge who glared from behind Keith.

“Better than assholes like you.” Keith’s tone was dark. He then turned to Pidge who he was shielding behind him from the Great Bitch Dutchess Nyma and her kiss-ass underlings.

“Are you okay?”

“Besides the intake of secondhand smoke in my lungs, I’m okay.” Pidge replied and patted Keith’s shoulder. “Thanks, Keith.”

Nyma snapped but Keith looked unfazed. “And why are you even with people like _them_?” She dropped her cigarette on the grass and put it out by grinding it with the heel of her designer shoes. “You became the life of the party when you’re with us. You got anyone you wanted to _fuck_ when you’re with us.”

It was like the air around them chilled like winter death even if the sun was high in the noon sky. “Careful, Nyma.” Keith warned and his voice dropped an octave as his eyes darkened. “You’re walking a thin line.”

Nyma met those dark violet eyes with her own without backing down. She took another step forward and faced Keith head-on. “Oh what?” she challenged. “You’re honestly going to pick a fight with a lady, hm?”

“Lady?” Keith barked a harsh laugh. This was the thing about Nyma, she’s only brave when she had back-up and Rolo on her side. Otherwise, she’s just an airy, blonde bimbo who flaunted her money like she earned the thing herself. “Nah, girl, you’re a bitch.”

“I beg your pardon?” Nyma gasped and her face fell into a gape of disbelief. Her companions glared at Keith while Reedus narrowed his eyes at him and he clenched his fists.

Pidge sensed the rising tension and carefully took Keith’s arm to tug him back. “Hey, come on, let’s go. They’re not worth it.” They said but Keith refused to budge. Pidge started to feel panic and their heart battered against the wall of their chest.

Lance mentioned that Keith was under behavioral probation and if a fight breaks out right now, Keith might get the boot. It appeared that the little funfact about Keith was not supposed to come out but here was Nyma, throwing private shit like Keith’s personal life was supposed to be headline news.

But heck, did Keith really sleep around like that? A voice of doubt shouted in the far corner of Pidge’s brain and told them that Lance might end up being hurt in his relationship with Keith.

“The others are waiting for us.” Pidge made their tone calming but it shook a little with the nervousness they’re trying to hide. “Lance will eat our share.”

 “Lance Calhoun? I heard he’s dating that scholar.” One of the girls whispered at Nyma and Keith narrowed his eyes in irritation.

“Yeah, so?” he said. “What’s it to you?”

“I’ll relax if I were you.” Reedus shrugged. “It’s just a turn of the season thing. He’ll throw the scholar aside after he got a piece of his ass---“

**BLAM**

Light flashed in front the guy’s eyes and he gasped or air when his air supply got cut. It was like Keith moved like lightning with how fast he went. The next thing Reeduse knew, Keith pinned him against a tree by the throat.

“Keith!” Pidge shrieked and attempted to stop the fight. But the moment they got near enough, they stopped when their senses screamed for them to stay back. It was like Keith’s very aura turned into a dark storm that warned them to back off or they would regret it.

Is this why Keith was infamous around here? Was this Keith’s other side that they heard so much about?

“What the _fuck_ did you say?” Keith’s words were calm but his eyes were like violet blades that tore through and enticed fear.

Reedus just gulped and struggled against the vise like hold Keith had around his neck. “Le-Let me go, Kogane.” He gasped. “My family is a supplier for your dad’s company.” He wheezed this time when Keith’s fingers squeezed a little harder with terrifying strength. “It would be a waste if y-you’d lose a client…”

“Do I look like I give a fuck about that?” A cold smirk twitched on the corners of Keith’s mouth and his eyes flashed dangerously from within. “My father can always find a better supplier and terminate contract with yours. You’re the one losing a client, not us.”

The student paled when Keith leaned closer to whisper darkly into his ear but he made it loud enough so that even Nyma and her other cronies could hear;

“Now listen to me, you piss haired son of a bitch,” Keith said slowly, each word a death threat. “If I ever see you lay a finger on one of my friends or hear you talk shit about my boyfriend again, I’ll break your fucking face. Do you understand?”

Reedus nodded in fear, his face now purple from the lack of air. He immediately gasped when air rushed back into his lungs after Keith released him and he slid down by his back against the tree trunk.

“Let’s go, Pidge.” Keith told Pidge after he checked if they were really okay. Pidge nodded quickly, still in shock of this new side of Keith they witnessed seeing for the first time.

Having won the lasting impression, Keith walked away without looking back at Nyma or Reedus while Pidge hurried after him.

 

There was a heavy silence that felt suffocating between Pidge and Keith as they walked. Keith’s steps had mellowed from his angry strides and Pidge can now match up with his pace. Pidge knew they had to say something;

“Are you okay Keith?” the question felt like sand in their mouth but it was better than nothing. In truth, they really were concerned about Keith. Pidge now knew that Keith was terrifying when angered but they felt cared for that he stood up for them like that.

“Yeah.” Keith replied and Pidge stopped to stand beside him when he halted in his steps. “Pidge, listen…” he sighed. “You were not supposed to know that.”

“Well, like you said.” Pidge crossed their arms over their chest. “Nyma’s a bitch.” Despite their reprimanding pose, Keith caught the tone of doubt in their voice.

“Could you please hear me out?” he asked and Pidge nodded.

“Sure, what’s up?”

Keith took a step towards Pidge and they were startled when he placed his hands on their shoulders and looked them straight in the eyes.

“It’s true that I…well, you know, hooked up with quite a few guys, but I swear, that was before.” He inhaled and his shoulders slouched in defeat.

“Keith,” Pidge said but Keith held up a hand.

“No, please let me finish. I would never hurt Lance like that.” Keith didn’t bullshit and he didn’t sugarcoat because he was the type person who went straight to the point. “I know that I don’t have the best image in school but I’m trying to change because I want to be better. I want to be better for myself and for Lance because I lo--…” he trailed off and his cheeks bloomed with color despite the seriousness in his eyes.

Keith couldn’t believe the words that he almost said. He was only speaking the truth he felt and even he was secretly shocked when he got a clarification of his true feelings.

He never thought that he would feel something like what he felt for Lance now. He couldn’t believe the lengths he was willing to go for the other.

Pidge understood and their golden brown eyes softened but they sighed. “Your secret is safe with me."

Yep, Keith was hopeless. Keith was fucking hopeless and a sappy romantic even though he wouldn’t admit it and he’s completely fallen for their best friend that he became extremely protective earlier with Reedus. “Relax, okay? I know I can trust you.” They then lowered their gaze to stare at the grass. “Honestly, at first, I had my doubts about you but now,” lifting those golden brown eyes, Pidge grinned. “Well, let’s just say that I don’t think there’s anyone better to date my best friend.”

Keith’s dark mood lit up and he grinned back at Pidge. “Thank you, Pidge.”

“The pleasure’s all mine!” Pidge beamed. “You’d have to ask for Hunk’s, but for me, you have the Best Friend’s Seal of Approval as Lance’s Honorary Boyfriend.”

 Keith chuckled but he lowered his head to hide his flustered cheeks. “Uh, Pidge, can we not tell Lance about what just happened? That wasn’t a pretty sight.”

“Yeah, okay.” Pidge sighed and scratched their chin in deep thought. “Knowing Lance, he’d most likely freak out.”

“Yup.”

“Thanks for having my back, Keith. I really do owe you one, I mean it.”

“I’ll hold on to that then.” Finally, Keith lifted a fist towards Pidge. “Bros?”

“Bros.” Pidge agreed and they bumped fists.

~

“Get up.” Nyma hissed at Reedus who was still pale and wide eyed. She then took out her phone and called Rolo;

**_‘Hey, sexy.’_ **

“Where are you?” Nyma snapped into the receiver. “We have a problem.”

**_‘Oh?’_ **

“Don’t you ‘Oh?’ me, Rolo.” Nyma’s tone was filled with venom. “Keith had Reedus pinned against a tree and almost killed him via asphyxiation! He’s gotten protective!”

Rolo was quiet on the other line for a moment as he took in that information. **_‘And I assume that the texts don’t affect Lance like we expected?’_**

“I…” This time Nyma was the one who fell quiet. “Well, yes. I can’t harass him with calls, he’ll know who I am.”

 ** _‘That’s okay, babe.’_** Rolo’s confidence returned. **_‘We’ll just step up our game. No one ditches us for rejects without making them regret it. Keith will see what it’s like to have his friends leave him one by one. Let’s start with his precious boyfriend.’_**

“How,” Nyma asked and stared back as her companions watched her. “How will we get rid of Lance? His record is spotless.”

**_‘What happens when you corner a dog, Nyma?’_ **

“It bites.”

 ** _‘Yes.’_** Nyma could hear the soft purr of a car engine on the other side. Rolo wasn’t in class today and she assumed that he must be heading somewhere for the day. **_‘And what happens when it bites?’_**

“You bleed.” Nyma replied.

 ** _‘Correct.’_** Rolo chuckled in a sinister manner before he finally added; **_‘But it also gets put down.’_**

~

Lance had told Shay and Hunk ahead of time that he wouldn’t be joining them for lunch. He had rushed out of the classroom when their last period ended before Keith could ask where he was going. Now, he was on the rooftop of the main building with his dark brown hair blowing in the wind. He had already sent a text message to Keith to come and meet him there so right now, he was playing the waiting game.

His blue eyes peered down on the pastry box he was holding and his new glasses glinted under the glare of the noon sun. Lance had gotten offers to help pay for them from Keith and surprisingly, even from his mom’s new boyfriend, Shiro. He saw Lance crossing the street and bumping into people while he was on the way to work and being observant as Shiro was, he noticed that Lance wasn’t wearing any glasses.

In the end, his mother had beaten him to it. Despite his protests, Allura insisted on helping her son and they ended up splitting the cost of the new glasses.

Lance had pulled two extra shifts instead of three and now, he had all this extra cash. So what he did was that he went to the grocery mart and bought ingredients.

Allura came home the night before from work shocked to find Lance sulking over a batch of cupcakes that looked like they were murdered by a flame thrower. Lance can cook but he couldn’t bake to save his life so Allura took pity on him and spent the remainder of the evening teaching Lance the basics of baking.

And that was how Lance learned to bake from scratch and now, he held a cute blue box with half a dozen red velvet cupcakes that he made himself.

Lance turned around when he heard the rooftop door open and Keith emerged from inside.

“Heeeeeeeey, handsome!” Lance wagged his eyebrows in a flirty manner but he kept both his hands that held the pastry box hidden behind his back. “How you doin’?”

Keith quirked an eyebrow at but he felt heat bloom in his cheeks when Lance called him ‘handsome.’ “What are you doing here?”

“I have a surprise exclusively for you and I don’t want the others nabbing a share.” Lance explained but he lowered his gaze bashfully to the ground. “Come here.”

“Uh, okay.” Keith said, a little lost. He walked over to where Lance was and his hair blew in the wind as well when he stepped out from under the small roof above the door. The way his raven mullet danced in the wind and his violet neck tie whipped in the wind made him look like absolute eye candy to Lance.

“What’s up?”

“Kiss first~” Lance cheerfully leaned over and puckered his lips before he made kissy noises. “Then, the goods.”

He wasn’t disappointed when Keith eagerly captured his lips in a kiss and he blushed when Keith pulled back while sucking wetly on Lance’s lower lip.

“Well, that was uh…” Lance cleared his throat and his face was red. “…Anyway, here.”

He finally revealed the box he was hiding behind his back and handed it over to Keith who took it with a look of curiosity.

“Go on and open it.” Lance encouraged but he sounded nervous. He can only hope that Keith liked it because it was his first time making it and Lance did not have the baker’s touch. Keith did and Lance chewed on his inner cheek as Keith looked at the cupcakes.

“Uh,” Lance laughed nervously. “I’m sorry that the frosting is droopy and the cupcakes bloated into weird sizes, but they’re the best in the batch.”

“Red velvets are my favorite.” Keith said and he looked up to lock his violet gaze with Lance’s blue ones. “How did you know?”

“It’s no surprise, actually.” Lance shrugged. “You’re the café’s number one red velvet patron. I mean,” he snorted. “You order it _all the time_. Heck, Kyle and Evie don’t even have to ask anymore.”

“You made these for me?” Keith asked, still dumbfounded. No one had done this for him before. “All on your own?”

“Mom helped.” Lance replied. “But yeah.” He paused and pursed his lips together, suddenly unsure. “Don’t you like them?”

“I love them.”

Lance felt happiness wash over him and his smile was so bright that Keith can’t help but smiling too.

“Is this why you called me here?” he asked.

Lance nodded. “Yeah, they’re especially for you so I don’t really want the others asking for some. I’ll just make a new batch on my next paycheck.”  

“Let’s share this.” Keith offered. “I can’t finish this all on my own.”

“I can’t eat that!” the other protested. “They’re yours---“ but Keith was already dragging him and they settled under the shade of the water tower. Minutes later, Lance found himself laughing along with Keith and while they did, Keith watched Lance and drowned in the sound of his laughter.

Lance made him feel and he didn’t remember the last time he was happy before he met him. It was odd; just an hour ago, Keith was on the verge of breaking someone’s face but now he’s on the rooftop with his wonderful jackass boyfriend who went out of his way to make him his favorite cupcakes.

“Here.” Keith handed Lance a red velvet cupcake and he took one for himself. Without another minute to spare, he bit into it and his eyes widened.

“Well?” Lance asked, expectant and hopeful but a little worried. “Is it okay?”

“Okay?” Keith repeated. “Lance this is fucking delicious! I love it!”

A happy grin lit up Lance’s face as Keith tore through the cupcake with enthusiasm. Suddenly, Keith coughed when something was caught in his throat and he started to choke.

“Duuuude!” Lance scolded but quickly handed over a can of Fanta. “Seriously, if you like it that much, I’ll make you more. Take it slow and easy, jeeze.”

After he grabbed the can of orange soda from Lance, Keith downed half the can in one go and sighed in relief. “You saved me from impending cupcake doom, baby.”

“I bet Shay would love to put this in the school paper;” Lance waved his hand on front of him. “Headline: Altean Student Killed by Cupcake!”

“Heh, funny.” Keith rolled his eyes but otherwise, there was a small smile on his lips while he idly swirled the can of Fanta which he held by the rim with the tips of his fingers. However, after Lance joked around, he found himself staring at Keith who looked like he was lost in his thoughts. Then he noticed that there was a smear of cream cheese left on the corner of Keith’s lips.

“Keith.” Lance had no fucking idea what pushed him to do what he did, but the moment Keith looked up at him in question, he leaned in and flicked out the tip of his tongue to lick the cream cheese off. When he pulled back, Lance realized what he did and his face burned like it was literally on fire. “S-Sorry, that was…!”

But before Lance could finish his flustered apology, Keith reached forward to grab him by the chin and he crushed their lips together. Lance gasped for air but willingly parted his lips when Keith’s tongue pressed gently to ask for entrance. It was spur of the moment which rooted from Lance’s bold move and how Keith took it as in irresistible urge.

The next thing Lance knew was that Keith had straddled him and pinned him against the wall he was leaning on. The fiery kiss carried on with them starting to lose control when Keith’s mouth left Lance’s lips and trailed down the side of the other’s neck. Lance moaned but otherwise leaned his head to the side to further expose the skin of his neck. The moan however was like electricity that made Keith’s blood run hot and tension bloomed within him.

“You’re doing that on purpose.” Keith growled and when Lance smirked back at him, he made gruff sound and he maneuvered the two of them so that he could pin Lance down on the floor with him on top.

“I’m warning you. You wouldn’t want to provoke me.”

“What happens if I do?” Lance breathed but he met Keith’s gaze with a lazy, half lidded look. His chest rose and fell in a breathy rhythm and his lips were kiss bruised. Lance felt his heart speed up even more when Keith leaned in and bent down to whisper hotly into his ear.

 “Do you want to find out?”

Lance shivered when Keith flicked out his tongue and licked the lobe of his ear. Keith reached down to pull out Lance’s polo shirt that was tucked inside his pants and his hand slid up to caress the hot skin of his chest. Keith’s callused fingers gently brushed against Lance’s nipples which earned him a gasp from Lance and he grinned when he arched up beneath him.

“Keith,” Lance was breathing hard no and Keith eyes darkened when he felt Lance’s erection against his own when he experimentally rocked his hips against the other. “A-Ah… W-we’re at s-school.”

Even it was a huge cockblock, Keith agreed that Lance was right. If they were caught fooling around like this, they will both get into trouble and Keith had to take care of Lance’s scholarship as well as his probationary status.

“Okay.” Keith huffed and got off Lance. It was difficult for him to shake off the heat of the moment especially when the two of him have hard-ons. Keith helped Lance up, brushed off dust from their uniforms, and smoothed their clothes with Lance tucking back his polo shirt which Keith pulled up.

“Lance,” Keith broke the silence and Lance looked at him. “I mean, we’re in a relationship and all. And well…”

“Hey, it’s alright.” Lance replied. He reached back to scratch the back of his head, looking really flustered. “I’d be lying if I told you that I’ve never… imagined doing it with you.” He trailed off for a moment but then regained back control. “It’s just we’re at school.”

Keith noticed that Lance somewhat looked reluctant and then the other bit his lower lip, Lance spoke again;

“I uh…” he said. “I’ve never done it before, Keith.”

“It’s okay.”

Before he knew it, Keith pulled him into his arms and nuzzled his neck within the embrace. “We’ll take it slow. We don’t have to do it if you’re not ready.”

Oh hell, Keith was wrong, Lance thought. “It’s not that. Believe me, I have raging boner for you right now but it’s the timing.” He glanced nervously at the door of the rooftop. “What if Coran walks in on us?”

And that effectively killed off their erections.

“Uhg.” Keith groaned. “That’s not going to let me sleep tonight.”

“Me too.” Lance agreed. He leaned in and planted a sweet kiss on Keith’s lips before he reached to affectionately fix Keith’s necktie. “We just have to get the right chance.”

“I hope we don’t have to wait long.” Keith said. “Because fucking shit, Lance, you drive me crazy.”

When Lance smiled, Keith did too but it was more of a smirk that made him look irresistible.

“And Lance?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for baking me cupcakes, wifey.”

Lance’s face burst with heat that made him turn beet red and Keith laughed happily.

~

The opportunity came that evening while Lance and Keith sat side by side at the dining table in Shiro’s place. Shiro and Allura got off work early because there weren’t any more meetings to be taken care off and they decided to make dinner. But since the two of them go a little too enthusiastic, they made too much for two people so they invited Lance and Keith to join them.

They had a merry dinner and Keith enjoyed Allura’s cooking so much that he was more talkative than usual.  Shiro, however, noticed that Lance was the opposite since he poked around his food although he smiled and replied when he was spoken to instead of initiating the conversation himself.

“Lance, how was school?” Shiro asked and Lance looked up from the food on his plate.

“It…was okay.” Lance lied. Of course he wasn’t going to tell Shiro what happened between him and Keith at the school rooftop nor was he willing to tell anyone about the text messages. However, the anonymous sender hasn’t bothered him for days now. “We finished our midterm exams today.” He smiled.

“I bet you did great, kiddo.” Shiro gave him an assuring nod and Lance felt an odd warmth in his chest. It was like… a sense of pride in himself.

“How did you find it, Keith?” Allura asked this time.

“My fate is in the hands of the chemistry gods now.” Keith shrugged. “But I hope Elric takes pity on me.”

“You’ll pass, I just know it. You’ve improved over the months.” Underneath the table Lance placed a hand on Keith’s lap and squeezed comfortingly. Keith smiled back at him.

“Shiro, do you think the fridge cake is ready---“ Allura asked but then Shiro’s phone suddenly rang.

He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. “I have to take this.” He said briefly and excused himself. Lance watched as his mother followed Shiro’s form as he walked out into the veranda and he identified the look on Allura’s face as that of concern.

“Uh, can I have seconds?” Keith broke the silence and Allura snapped her attention back to him.

“Of course.” She smiled as she filled Keith’s plate with pasta. “Lance, dear, look how hungry Keith is. Aren’t you taking care of him enough?”

“Mom!” Lance protested with shock. “You’re embarrassing me!”

“Yeah, Lance.” Keith pouted and Lance “Feed me.”

When Lance rolled his eyes and shook his head Keith barked out a laugh while the other playfully punched him on the shoulder.

While they waited for Shiro to return from his call, Allura went to retrieve the dessert from the fridge. When she came back, Shiro stepped back in from the veranda at the same time with his brows furrowed.

“You okay, dude?” Keith asked. He straightened from his chair when Shiro sighed and plopped back onto his chair. He nodded gratefully at Allura when she placed a slice of blueberry cheese cake on his plate and without wasting another moment, Shiro shoved in a big slice in his mouth and downed it with water.

“Uh,” Keith quirked a brow. “Okay, so my question was obviously understated so let me rephrased that; are you fucked?”

“There’s a conference I have to attend to and it’s located on the other side of the country.” Shiro said. “They called me since I haven’t sent a confirmation yet.”

“Are you serious?” Allura frowned. “I didn’t receive an invitation.”

“I’m sure it was a technical difficulty.” Shiro assured her with a kind smile. “Don’t worry, okay?”

Lance noticed the shift in Shiro’s tone and the way Allura’s eyes softened when his mother looked at Shiro. Lance felt his heart melt at the sight of how happy Allura looked despite the way her brows were furrowed over her blue lilac eyes from worry.

“Will you be okay?” Allura asked and Shiro nodded. “When’s your flight?”

“Tomorrow morning.” He replied. “And here’s the thing, it’ll be extensive. I,” he paused, unsure, but then he decided that work was work. “I won’t be able to handle everything on my own. I need you to come with me, Allura.”

“Understood.”

“Whoooaaaah.” Lance breathed. “That’s so CEO-y.”

“No shit.” Keith leaned back against his chair. “Heck, I’d ditch it.”

“Well, I can’t ditch this one.” Shiro sulked. “It’s just for the weekend though. We’ll fly back on Sunday morning.”

Allura looked at Lance and thought how her son would be on his own for the whole weekend. She knew Lance would be fine since he’s not four anymore but as mother, she still felt worried that she would be leaving her boy all on his own.

“Lance, sweetheart, you’ll be okay?” she asked in a doting tone and Lance replied;

“Mom, I’m seventeen.” He said. “It’s not like I’d set the place on fire or die from starvation.”

“But honey,” Allura began and Keith snorted back a laugh. Lance was about to tell his boyfriend to quit it when Shiro butted in.

“Hey, here’s an idea.” He placed down his fork beside his half eaten cake. “Why don’t you stay here for the weekend, Lance?”

“What?” Allura’s eyes widened at the suggestion. She watched as Shiro took out his wallet and pulled out one of his many debit cards before he handed it to Lance who took it carefully and stared at it like it was the most amazing thing in the whole wide world.

“That has enough to last you two for the weekend.” Shiro said then his dark eyes turned to lock with Keith’s and the tone he used next held and edge of reprimand. “I’m sure you wouldn’t buy completely unnecessary things off the internet unlike someone I know.”

“Hey!” Keith protested.

“What did Keith buy?” Allura asked curiously and Keith’s face reddened.

“Don’t you dare, Shiro.”

“An ostrich from craigslist.”

“Holy shit, you bought an ostrich?” Lance turned to look and gape at his boyfriend.

“That was one time, okay?” Keith got defensive and crossed his arms over his chest to look tough but he couldn’t meet anyone’s gazes. “I said I was sorry and I donated it to the zoo under Voltron’s name because philanthropic stuff and whatever.”

“Anyway…” Shiro cleared his throat. “Is that arrangement fine with the both of you?”

“Yeah, totally.” Lance nodded. “Don’t worry, Shiro, we won’t buy a cougar in a gold leash.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t.” Allura looked like she was smiling but her eyes held a warning which made Lance pale up.

“So you guys have fun in your impromptu trip, okay?” Lance grinned. “All those business stuff and fancy suits and the mile high club.”

“Conferences tend to be bloody.” Shiro groaned. He wasn’t looking forward to this but secretly, he was looking forward to having Allura with him. He cleared his throat once suggestive and inappropriately steamy images flashed before him mind.

No, this was work. Work is work. Work work work work… God, will they be sharing a hotel room? Maybe there would a hot tub for two there. That would be great.

“We’ll come back with the place intact, yes?” Shiro was grateful that Allura’s voice knocked him back to reality.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Keith smiled innocently. “The furniture will be safe.”

Lance, however, felt his body heat up in anticipation.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get down on your knees and ask for forgiveness, space kiddies...
> 
> We're about to sin.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY YOUR KLANCE SIN, YOU THIRSTY QUIZNAKS. *throws update at you*
> 
>  
> 
> **Very important note from the author: I placed the sex scene under a cut so that those who are not comfortable in reading it can skip to the after-sex scene. I respect my readers and I want them to enjoy the story.**
> 
>  
> 
> Again, thank you very much for all the love and support you've given. I really hope that you enjoy this chapter because SHIT, I KNOW I DID. AHAHAHA!! Please, PLEASE, let me know what you think! <3

Chapter 23

“Okay, let’s see…” Lance scanned the grocery list he made on his phone’s memo pad beforehand. “We got cereal, milk, a loaf of bread, cheese, and kale chips.”

“Kale chips, really?” Keith sulked while he leaned against the grocery trolley. “That’s gross.”

“Look, Keith.” Lance sighed. “They’re healthy. At least, that what I think.”

Keith shrugged and followed closely behind while Lance went through the shelves and meticulously compared prices. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure I get the brand that gives us our money’s worth without sacrificing quality.” Lance replied without looking at Keith. He pushed his glasses but the bridge of his nose while he studied two brands of chicken nuggets from the freezer chest.

“You…what?”

“I’m budgeting, Keith.” Lance sighed after he finally picked the Oh NUGGIES! Brand and tossed it in the cart. “You know, making sure we get most of our money’s worth?”

“Lance,” Keith pulled out Shiro’s debit card from his jacket pocket and waved it in front of Lance. “We can buy half of this place if we wanted to. Just put whatever you want in the cart.”

“We don’t need everything.”

“I’m not saying that we need everything.” Keith rolled his eyes, exasperated. “All I’m saying is that you don’t have to take your time checking prices.”

“I’m trying to put us in an economic advantage here, Keith.”

Lance and Keith didn’t notice that their voices were starting to rise while they argued over the grocery shopping that they were starting to earn stares from the other customers.

“SHHH!!!!”

The two of them were startled from the familiar tone. When they looked up, they saw the same old man that shushed them when they were arguing in the train on the way to the bay when the two of them ditched school back then.

Gray eyes glared at them from behind thick glasses and the old man’s lips were pursed into an irritated line. He held a basket with a box of ‘Ol Bran, a box of prunes, and lettuce.

“Keep it down, you rascals.” He said. “Some people are trying to shop in peace!” then he walked away while mumbling; “Damn millennials. Back in my day…”

His words died down as the old man walked away and Lance turned to look at Keith who looked back at him and gave a mindless shrug.

“This is Shiro’s money and I will not spend it irresponsibly.” Lance’s voice held an edge of finality. He then placed a tray of organic eggs and went along his way. Keith sighed and shook his head while he pocketed the debit card. It was weird but this was how people from the opposite walk of life survived. Even when his parents were alive, Keith had a lot to his arsenal and it only hit gold when Shiro took him in.

Yes, in one way or another, it made Keith spoiled rotten, but he wasn’t really happy. Until now that is. Keith felt as smile on his lips while Lance muttered prices to himself while he did quick runs on his phone’s calculator.

Is this what it was like to live with Lance? Keith wondered. But then again, if they two of them ended up doing so, he wouldn’t complain. Besides, Lance looked really cute doing all that domestic grocery shopping stuff.

They turned into the healthcare aisle and Lance just walked off without looking interested at the shelves in these parts.  Keith, however, was different.

When Lance disappeared into another aisle, leaving him behind, Keith quickly grabbed a box of Durex and a bottle of lube and tossed them in the cart before he walked away quickly feeling oddly bashful.

Why was he feeling like a greenhorn? He’s done this a million times but now, it felt like it was his first. Ah yeah, that’s right. It’s because he was with Lance now and Lance wasn’t like any other guy he was with.

“Keith?” Lance called from across the aisles and Keith hurried with the cart towards him.

“Yeah, hold on.”

This wasn’t a one night thing nor was it something to pass the time. This was Lance and he was special. This was Lance who meant the whole world to Keith.

Lance might wear glasses but he wasn’t blind. He totally saw what Keith tossed into the cart and he felt his stomach coil in heat and his veins hum. He blew out a breath and continued to look at the shelves while checking his list as well to check if they already have everything. A flurry of emotions zipped inside him and made him feel utterly weird; it was like this whole grocery trip wasn’t just to buy stuff to last them for the weekend. For Lance, it also felt like a ritual towards losing his virginity to Keith.

“Alright, play it cool, Lance.” He muttered to himself as he reached up to pat his cheeks. “You got this. You two are bound to reach this part, you just…you gotta calm down… Remember the fanfics and the manuals.”

Since he was so used to studying, Lance spent hours researching about first-time sex; the techniques, foreplay, what should be used, etcetera. However, in the end, he realized that it’s going to be between him and Keith. Everything else will drown out and to hell with research, it’s going to be forgotten once passion takes over.

Lance even planned out what he’d wear. God, he’s fucking hopeless but he wanted this with Keith and he wanted everything to be perfect for their first time. However, something else bothered him; for some reason, he felt like there was something missing in what he’d wear tonight.

Great, he was panicking now. His gaze flitted from one shelf to another in a desperate attempt to find something he wasn’t even sure about.

Then, he saw it.

_Purrfect._

~

“Here you go.” Lance handed Keith the big paper bag of groceries he had and the other wordlessly took it before he placed it in the passenger seat of the Escalade. Before he left with Allura for the conference, Shiro had taken back the key to Keith’s Ducati. Keith protested and convinced Shiro that he’d need a ride in case he and Lance need to go somewhere so Shiro gave him the key to his black Escalade since he’d be leaving the Audi at the airport.

“You know, we can always order room service.” Keith said as he shut the passenger door and walked to the driver’s side while Lance went on shotgun. “You didn’t have to buy eggs and all those other stuff.”

“Why order room service when I can just cook for us?” Lance shut the door and clipped his seatbelt while Keith got behind the wheel of the SUV.

“Will you make that omelet again?” Keith asked and he started the car. When Lance gave him a look of confusion, he followed; “You know…” he trailed off. “From that time you brought me home from the park.”

“Oh.” Lance remembered now. The morning after he dragged Keith’s drunk ass home with Pidge and their older brother, Matt, Lance had stayed the night to take care of Keith. And the morning after, Lance made a plate of omelet so Keith doesn’t go hungry when he woke because he didn’t know that room service was a thing with rich folks.

“Yeah, sure.” He smiled at Keith. “I’ll make it the way I did back then if you like it that much.”

“Such a good wifey.” Keith smirked and Lance rolled his eyes but his cheeks were pink. He put the SUV in reverse and pulled out into the street. While he drove, he noticed in the corner of his eye that Lance was restlessly fiddling with the hem of his hoodie. Keith remembered what Lance had told him back when they got hot and bothered at the school rooftop.

_“I’ve never done it before, Keith.”_

When they caught a red light, Keith eased the car to a stop and reached his right hand to place it on Lance’s restless fingers.

“Huh?” Lance turned to look at his boyfriend. “Keith?”

With a small and assuring smile, Keith replied as he squeezed Lance’s fingers. “You should chill, baby.”

Appreciating the comfort, Lance squeezed his hand back in response. “I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

“Is that it?” Keith asked. “Is that why you’re so un-chill?”

“For the love of god, Keith, your choice of words are so…” Lance tried to look for the word but even he couldn’t find one to describe what it was so he just said; “Indescribable.”

“Hey, I’m a man of few words.” Letting go of Lance’s hand, Keith put the vehicle to drive when the light turned green.

“I know.” Lance smiled and he turned to look out the window once again to watch the passing scenery. Even if Keith did not play by flowery words and usually gave it right on the point, Lance did not mind at all. It was how Keith was and Lance liked him that way.

 _Liked_?

Biting his lower lip, Lance played around the word and it rubbed him the wrong way. It wasn’t the word he was looking for; it was too plain and generic to describe how he felt about Keith. Was there supposed to something else?

Something more…beautiful?

Giving up on the mental search, Lance decided to let it go for now and instead, he focused on the excitement of spending the whole weekend with Keith. Flitting his gaze to the side briefly, he caught a look of Keith and his usual, handsome poker face while he drove and it made his heart skip a beat.

~

“Lance, hurry up, it’s starting!” Keith called from the couch and his boyfriend stepped out from the kitchen and made his way to the living room couch where Keith was waiting while the big flat screen TV played a re-run of Space Explorers.

“Hooolyyyy shiiiiit!!” Lance excitedly plopped down next to Keith with a bowl of popcorn. “I love this show!!”

“Really?!” Keith turned to snap his head towards Lance with his violet eyes wide with shock. “Dude, you gotta be shitting me.”

“I shit you not!” Lance laughed. “I used to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch it. I cleaned my room for months and made mom pay me a dollar each time so I can afford to buy the Red Paladin’s bayard for Christmas.”

“He’s your favorite?” Keith asked.

Lance nodded. “I love the Red Paladin.”

“I love the guy in blue.” Keith smiled but Lance noticed that his violet gaze darkened a bit when he lowered his lashes and he gazed at the carpeted floor.

“Are you okay?” Lance was suddenly concerned.

“Space Explorers helped me cope when I was a kid.” Keith admitted and he took a deep breath before he took solace in the bond of trust between him and Lance. He revealed a new facet about the event that destroyed his childhood. “I kept singing the theme song while Shiro carried me out of my house the night my parents…”

He trailed off.

Keith sighed and rolled his shoulders back when he slouched against the couch.  “When Shiro took me in, he bought me the whole DVD set.” He motioned at the opening credits that were rolling on the screen. “I also made him buy me the Blue Paladin’s rifle. I went everywhere with that thing, I even slept with it beside me.”

“Wow.” Lance breathed.

“Too lame?”

“Nope.” Lance leaned in to nuzzle Keith’s temple and he grinned when that made Keith smile.

They two of them spent the whole evening doing a Space Explorers marathon of the first season. Eventually, as they got into the middle episodes, they shifted their positions in the couch and ended up spooning with Lance as the big spoon and Keith the little one.

**_‘We had a bonding moment, I cradled you in my arms!’_ **

**_‘Nope, don’t remember… didn’t happen!’_ **

“God, why don’t they just admit that they have the hots for each other?” Lance groaned.

“Because they’re both shitlords, that’s why.” Keith replied as he reached for some popcorn in the bowl that was set on the coffee table across the couch.

The night moved on. Lance and Keith were lost in the hype of their childhoods while they cuddled in the couch. When Lance gave out a loud burp from the can of soda he drank, Keith playfully smacked him with a throw pillow on the face.

“Hey!”

“You’re gross.”

“Shut up, here comes the good part!” Lance pointed at the episode that was playing.

**_‘We did it. We do make a good team.’_ **

**_‘Yeah, we do.’_ **

That was the moment Lance buried his face into Keith’s hair and nuzzled his neck.

“What about us?” his words were muffled by Keith’s hair. “Do we make a good team?”

“You know we do.” Keith replied. He reached for the remote to pause and turned within Lance’s arms until he faced the other. “Fight me on this.”

Lance grinned when Keith leaned in to press their lips together. Tugging Lance underneath, Keith pinned him down against the couch and got on top of him. Lance made a small sound when Keith immediately positioned his knee between his legs to part them and Lance found his arms pinned above his head after Keith’s hand caressed them.

“You know what else we’re good at doing together?” Keith’s voice had turned husky and his violet eyes glimmered dimly from the TV that was the only source of light in the room.

“We…” Lance gulped and the heat that rose in his body made him pant out the words. “We don’t even know if I’m any good at this.”

“Well then,” Keith chuckled and leaned in to gently nibble at Lance’s earlobe before he whispered hotly into the shell of Lance’s ear; “Why don’t we find out?”

Lance moaned when Keith trailed small wet kisses down the side of his neck. He gasped and arched up towards Keith when he felt the other lift up his shirt and trailed his free hand up the hot skin of his torso while his other hand continued to pin Lance’s hands above his head. Keith’s rough hands felt good as they scraped against Lance’s skin.

The noises that Lance made drove Keith fucking insane and the way he arched towards him was an invitation for the taking. When Lance boldly moved his hips to roll back and forth in a single thrust, Keith cursed under his breath when he felt Lance’s erection rub against his through the disruptive barrier of their jeans.

“Fuck.” Keith growled and swooped in to crush his lips against Lance’s who parted them to grant the other an entrance into a deeper, hotter kiss.

“Wa-Wait!” Lance gasped for air and used what remaining strength he could muster to push Keith back as he sat up straight.

“What?” Keith looked confused but his eyes were dark with arousal as they bore into Lance’s blue ones.

“Why don’t you go take a quick shower and cool off?” Lance offered as he pushed up his foggy glasses up his nose, having already taken on earlier. “I’ll go get changed.”

“What are you talking about?”

Lance bit his lower lip and tore his eyes away from Keith to hide his embarrassment. “I, uhm…” he began shyly. “I planned out an outfit to wear for tonight. I wanted to surprise you and make it a little more interesting, I guess?”

The look on Keith’s face was something Lance wasn’t able to read well. It was a mixture of wonder, confusion, and something else but all those faded away and were replaced by a slow, sexy grin.

“Show me then, baby.”

~

The bathroom was covered in steam by the time Keith finished his quick shower. He threw on some sweat pants and walked towards the fogged up mirror with a fluffy white towel draped over his head like a veil.

He reached towards the mirror and wiped away the mist with his hand. Keith stared his reflection and blew out a breath. This was it.

Despite having done this countless times in the past when he was in the dark viper pit of douchebaggery while being a complete fuckboy, he was all nerves right now like it’s his first time too. What can he say? All those escapades in the past felt empty and Keith can barely remember the faces of all those people he shared a bed (or a car) with.

But this was Lance who meant the whole world to him. This wasn’t just a one night fuck nor was this something that’s going to be gone in the morning. This was something more between them, something so damn special that Keith almost strangled a trash talking schoolmate to defend Lance.

There it was again, that weird emotion that made his heart swell.

Keith turned on the tap and splashed some cold water onto his face. He was going to do this right and he wasn’t going to treat Lance like a thing. Not only did he promise Pidge that he wouldn’t hurt Lance, he also made a promise to himself that he’ll change for the better. He wasn’t going to screw up, not when it would risk Lance as well.

“Let’s see your cute little costume, baby.” Keith muttered with a small smirk. He ruffled his hair with the towel before he threw it in the hamper.

Without wasting another second, Keith grabbed the box of condoms by the sink.

 

Every step he took to reach his room felt heavy but exciting. When he stood in front of his door, he heard something bump inside.

“Ow, dammit!” It was Lance, obviously. “Where’s the fucking…oh there it is.”

It was followed by a long moment of silence which made Keith guess that Lance had probably settled, all ready and waiting for Keith’s return. Turning the knob, Keith slowly opened his door and stood on his door way. The moment he saw what Lance was wearing, the excitement roared through his system and jolted his cock to twitch.

Lance was wearing a cream colored sweater that was a size too big for him. One side drooped down to expose the darkly tanned skin of his shoulder while his long shapely legs were clad in black kitty cat knee socks. But what put a dark smirk on Keith’s lips was the cat ear headband that topped Lance’s sexy little outfit.

There was his cute boyfriend, on his bed. His legs were bent up and Lance leaned against the pillows on the headboard. He had taken of his glasses and the way his pretty blues stared widely at Keith gave him a submissive air.

“Well, well,” Keith closed the door behind him and Lance gave a single gulp. His heart pounded faster as his eyes trailed to hungrily take in every hard detail of Keith’s shirtless torso only to almost reach a cardiac arrest when Lance saw the box of condoms he was holding. “Don’t tell me you have a kitty tail too.”

“Don’t push your luck.” Lance replied. He was so flustered that the words hurried out of his mouth and sounded like a hiss. He bit his lip when Keith slowly walked towards the side of the bed and the mattress dipped when he knelt on knee on it. Keith leaned down and placed a hand underneath Lance’s chin and tilted his head up.

The kiss started off as a slow burn only to deepen. Lance moaned and leaned back to brace himself against his elbows when Keith got a little too aggressive with the kiss.

“K-Keith…” Lance gasped when Keith trailed his lips down the side of his neck again and sucked on the base of his throat to leave a love mark. “Ah~ What should I-I do?”

There it goes; all the articles and tips he read… down the goddamn sewer.

Keith pulled back and stared at Lance with his violet gaze that was dark and lidded. “I’ll teach you.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” Keith smiled and stood back up. “I’ll teach you.” He reached down to gently caress his thumb on Lance’s flustered cheek. “I’ll be your tutor this time. So you better be a good little kitty.”

Keith was going to be patient; he’d teach Lance to let go of all those stuck up control. He’d teach him to realize what he liked as well as what Keith liked.

“Okay.” Lance tilted his head to the side and looked up at Keith from where he knelt flat on the bed. “I’ll be good.” He leaned towards Keith’s touch and nuzzled his hand before he kissed Keith’s fingers.

 

* * *

“Do what you feel like doing, baby.” Keith’s voice sounded husky but then Lance stopped nuzzling his hand and looked hesitant. Keith quickly understood; “It’s okay, don’t be shy.”

So what Lance did was that he reached his hand out and ran them up and down against Keith’s bare chest in a slow, agonizing rhythm. Lance familiarized himself with Keith’s body as his fingers brushed against his sensitized skin, feeling every hard plane of his muscles.

“That’s a good start,” Keith smiled and he petted Lance, his fingers combing his dark brown hair that sported those cat ears. “Good boy.”

Lance stilled and stared at Keith with wide eyes as his face went impossible red and flustered.

“Oh, so you like that, do you?” Keith grinned at discovering Lance’s secret kink.

“Shut the fuck up, Keith.” Lance hissed.

“Make me.”

To respond to the challenge, Lance shot up and crush his lips against Keith’s in a full blown kiss. It turned wild and wet as Lance clawed his fingers down Keith’s body. He gasped out when Keith’s hand reached down and slipped inside the band of his brief shorts to grope his bare ass.

“Lesson two,” Keith growled against their kiss. “Don’t be afraid to be bad.”

“Bad?”  Lance pulled back to give Keith a scowl.

“You know,” Keith shrugged but he bit his lower lip when Lance let out a shaky breath when he squeezed his ass. “Bad in a good way.”

“Ah, okay, I get it.”

Boldly, Lance took his turn to pepper kisses down the side of Keith’s neck, but this time, he went past that as he trailed his mouth down Keith’s chest.

Down past his chest.

Down past his abdomen.

Until his lips settled on the thin patch of hair that led to somewhere more erotic.

“Is that what my kitty likes?” Keith’s fingers suggestively combed through Lance’s hair who know knelt before him on his bed.

Lance nodded, too caught up to speak. But this time, the outline of Keith’s hard dick had already imprinted itself against the material of his sweat pants. Lance’s shaking fingers carefully massaged the bulge and Keith gritted his teeth.

Finally, Lance pulled down Keith’s sweat pants and his erection sprang out towards Lance’s face.

Holy. Shit.

“Touch me, Lance. It’s okay.” Lance felt Keith’s fingers in his head claw against his scalp and he complied. Keith hissed when Lance took hold of his cock and slowly ran it up and down in his grip. Finally, Lance gave an experimental lick before he took Keith into his mouth.

“Fuck!” Keith snapped and threw back his head when Lance’s mouth wrapped around him.

“What’s wrong?!” Lance immediately pulled back, panicked. “Did I hurt you?!”

“It’s okay, Lance.” Keith inhaled sharply feeling utterly frustrated. He wanted nothing else but to get down on Lance and have his way with him until the other was reduced to a sticky, writhing mess. “Keep going, baby, please.”

Lance complied and he moaned a little when Keith pulled on the roots of his hair. He started out again and took Keith back in his mouth. It started with a slow rhythm for Lance to get used to and when he did, he bobbed his head faster and sucked harder while tightening his grip to massage the base of Keith’s cock. Lance reached down to play with his own bulge through his boxer briefs and he closed his eyes, feeling overwhelmed and completely turned on.

“Good kitty.” Keith gritted out through clenched teeth and his hand trailed down to caress Lance’s cheek. “You’re even prettier with my cock in your mouth.”

Lance blushed but glared back at him.

“That’s enough, it’s my turn.” Keith pulled his hips back and completely removed his sweat pants before he roughly pushed Lance down on the bed. “Now you teach me what you want.”

“I-I…” Lance began, his lips sore, kiss bruised and wet from sucking. “Well, I’m not really sure what I want. I don’t really care as long as it’s with you.”

Precious. Keith thought. Lance was absolutely precious and he’ll burn down the goddamn world and lay it on his feet if Lance asked him to.

“I’ll help you figure it out.” Keith leaned in to kiss Lance again. His hands lifted the sweater and pulled it over and away while Lance decided to help and remove his boxers. Keith got impossible harder when he saw Lance’s lithe nakedness underneath him with nothing but those knee socks on.

“What about this?” Reaching down Keith wrapped his fingers around Lance’s cock and started to stroke. Lance moaned louder and started to pant breathlessly with each stroke that Keith did.

“Y-You… too, baby… On mine.” Lance forced the words out and he arched up so that his member touched Keith’s. “Holy fuck…!” Lance groaned when Keith’s hand pumped the both of them with their dicks together. “Keith… Keith!” Lance was breathing fast now but just when he thought that he was going to come, Keith stopped.

“Dude, what the hell?” Lance protested, still splayed underneath Keith.

“Not yet.” Keith smirked and reached for the bottle of lube on the night stand. Lance stilled while he watched Keith squeezed and lather some on his fingers. “Ready, baby?”

Lance nodded but gulped.

He expected Keith to be rough when he repositioned himself on top of Lance. Keith leaned in to kiss Lance deeply and surprisingly, it felt… loving. Lance melted against the kiss and returned it with equal intimacy. He shivered when he felt Keith’s wet fingers probe against his entrance and he instantly tensed up.

“Shhhh, just relax.” Keith breathed into the kiss. “Breathe and enjoy it.”

A small mewl escape from Lance when Keith carefully slipped a finger inside him. Keith probed Lance’s inner walls and pressed his forehead against Lance’s when the other’s arms came around to hold on to him like he was clinging to dear life.

When Lance started to relax and release sighs of pleasure, Keith warned him; “I’m going to put in another one.”

Only when he got the greenlight from Lance did Keith inserted a second finger and smirked when Lance’s eyes rolled back.

“Oh, god, Keith…” Lance breathed.

“Kitty likes?”

“Mmmhmm…” Lance nudged up and started to move his hips to meet with Keith’s fingers scissoring him loose. “Kitty really likes~”

Then, Keith whispered into Lance’s ear. “You feel ready. Should I put in something bigger?”

With a smile, Lance nodded and Keith found it so cute that he couldn’t resist leaning in and planting a sweet kiss on Lance’s lips. “Okay, hold on a sec.” he said after he slowly pulled out his fingers.

Lance stared at the ceiling, his chest heaving in breaths. He closed his eyes to relax when he felt his heart pound at the sound of the condom wrapper being torn open.

“Lance, open your eyes.” The next thing Lance knew when he obeyed, Keith was on top of him again. Keith ran his hands along his socks clad legs before he nudged them to make Lance open up wider. Lance wrapped his legs around Keith’s hips and he bit his lower lip when he felt the head of Keith’s cock nudge against his entrance.

“I can’t promise that it won’t hurt at first.” Keith admitted as he bent down to press his forehead against Lance’s again. “So if it does, let me know and I’ll pull out, okay?”

“I’ll let you know.” Lance smiled. “I know I’ll be okay as long as I’m with you.”

“Oh, Lance.” Keith sighed and nuzzled the tip of his nose against Lance’s this time. After that tender moment, he said; “I’m going in.”

Lance gasped and cried out at the intrusion when Keith pushed in. Keith was breathing hard and reigned in all the strength he had to keep his self-control because holy fucking shit, Lance felt amazing. Keith was pulled back down when Lance wrapped his arms around him again and this time, Keith cradled him.

He placed little kisses down Lance’s neck to comfort him and whispered assurances into his ear as he eased his way in. Lance trembled when Keith was finally buried balls deep inside him but he didn’t protest.

“Shit, Lance…” Keith groaned. “You feel... fucking amazing.”

“Why, thank you.” Lance managed to smile and Keith adored that about him.

“I’m going to start moving now, okay?” Keith warned. “Tell me if I get too rough.”

“Like I said,” Lance reached up to cup Keith’s face and he looked deep into those violet pools that were drowning in emotion. “I know I’ll be okay as long as I’m with you.”

There were no more words when Keith started to move and the two of them were lost in bliss. They chanted each other’s name like a prayer drowned with moans and cries of pleasure.

Finally, they shattered in pure ecstasy while they held each other close when they reached their peaks, lost in that memorable moment that was the beginning of many more to come.

* * *

 

*

 

The nightmare was different when it came to haunt Keith that night. He was still in the cold, dark basement that smelled like damp mold and cement. Keith could hear the familiar heavy footsteps that came from the living room. He felt his heart thump against his chest as fear swallowed him whole.

It’s always the same and Keith’s been through this a million times that he knew how the dream was going to go. However, no matter how much it played like a repetitive broken record, he can’t manage to break out and it always had the same gut churning effect on him.

He opened his mouth; “Mom?”

Keith was surprised that his voice sounded like his current self and not the sobbing child that he was.

“Mom?” Keith called out again and he peered around the darkness that surrounded him. Everything was black and yet, he could see his hands in front of him and what he was wearing like it was broad daylight. He ran his hands on his midsection and realized that he was wearing his school uniform.

“What the fuck is going on?” He muttered to himself but his wonderings were distracted when the footsteps from upstairs became louder like the intruders were walking right on the hallway outside the basement door.

“Keith.”

It wasn’t Hyuna. It wasn’t his mother who was with him in this dark hell.

It was Lance.

Lance stood near the basement door with his back turned to Keith and one hand on the knob like he was preparing to step outside. And Keith knew that if Lance did that, he would lose him forever.

“Lance?” Keith said in disbelief. “Lance, what are you doing, don’t go out there.”

But his boyfriend still didn’t turn around. He lifted his other hand and Keith saw what gleaming chrome he was holding;

It was Lucas’s gun. Lance’s thumb brushed over the safety lock and the click it made echoed loudly in the darkness of the basement.

“Lance! Don’t do it!” Keith cried out, now completely and utterly terrified.

“Don’t worry.” Finally Lance turned to look at Keith over his shoulder and there he was, smiling but there were tears in his blue eyes, making them look like wet sapphires. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

Then, Lance turned the knob and opened the door. Keith forced his body to move and made a beeline dash towards Lance to stop him but it was as if the door stretched farther and farther from his reach.

“Lance! Lance!” Keith cried out and begged, tears falling from his eyes now. “LANCE, NO!!!”

The door slammed close and Keith was swallowed by the maw of darkness.

**BANG! BANG!**

 

*****

 

“Keith!” Lance shook Keith by the shoulder to roughly to wake him up and when Keith opened his eyes, true enough, Lance was there in bed with him. He was sitting up and he hovered above Keith, looking really worried. “Wake up, baby! It’s just a dream!”

Keith immediately sat up while he gasped for breath, gulping it in heaps because his lungs cried out. Lance helped him Lean against the headboard of the bed after he had turned on the bedside lamp.

“Was it the nightmare again?” Lance asked as he grabbed his discarded top from the floor and used it to wipe the cold sweat that covered Keith’s forehead. When Keith didn’t respond and just stared helplessly at the ruffled sheets that clung to his naked sweat laden body, Lance reached to cup Keith’s face and gently turned the other’s head so that he can look into those terrified violet eyes.

“It’s okay,” Lance cooed. “It’s just a dream, it’s not real.”

And as Keith was engulfed by the gentleness in those blue eyes, he finally lost it.

Lance was shocked when Keith broke down in his arms. His arms came around to hold Keith’s trembling body as broken sobs erupted from him. Lance could only imagine how many times Keith had broken down before after each nightmare and there was no one to comfort him. No wonder he barely got any sleep on most nights.

“Oh, Keith.” Lance pulled Keith tightly against him and Keith’s arms came around him while he buried his wet face into Lance’s shoulders.

“Don’t…” Keith sobbed brokenly. “Don’t leave me.”

A mixture of surprise and concern fell on Lance; why would Keith ask that from him?

“Not it a kazillion years.” Lance assured with a gentle smile and ran his fingers through Keith’s hair in a slow rhythm to calm him down.

Keith wanted to believe Lance but the nightmare felt all too real this time unlike those that had always bothered him. He woke up in cold sweat but he had never broken down before.

He just couldn’t shake off the feeling that something bad was coming their way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whispers* I regret nothing. 
> 
> Guess who's next? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're my pretty little vixen  
> And I'm the voice inside your head  
> That keeps telling you to listen to all the bad things I say."
> 
> -Bad Things, Machine Gun Kelly feat. Camila Cabello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's VERY important note: I placed the sex scene underneath a line so you can skip to the ending without spoiling yourselves. This is for the benefit of those of you who are not comfortable with smut. I respect my readers and and I want you guys to enjoy this story. Love you all~**
> 
>  
> 
> Readers: "Aww... Shiro and Allura are so sweet and innocent~ <3 "
> 
> Me: Yeah, innocent. *Slowly slides Chapter 24 across the table and quietly leaves*

Chapter 24

**The following day…**

“I really wish Lance was here to do my hair.” Allura sighed while she frantically ran a brush through her silvery-black ombre curls. She quickly tied the unruly mess into the nicest bun she can and stabbed it with a long silver ornamental hair pin.

Allura stared at her reflection on the full length mirror in her deluxe suite. She looked professional enough with a cream high waist pencil skirt, black heels, and a charcoal gray starched blouse with a low neck line.

She needed to dress her best and specifically act her best because not only would she be representing Voltron, she would be representing Shiro as well. Allura was all nerves; she had no problem dealing with people but today, she would have to rely on her wits and professional demeanor especially that there will be other CEOs and PAs there that would eat her alive if she dilly dallied.

“Okay, Allura.” She took a deep breath. “You can do this. It’s just one day. One long, exhausting day of trying not to get eaten alive and not making your boyfriend and the company look bad.”

Allura paused.

_Boyfriend._

Wow, when was the last time she actually had one of those? Seventeen years ago?

That didn’t matter right now, she needed to focus. And besides, what was in the past is best left there. She was with Shiro now and Shiro was twice, no, a million times the man Owen wasn’t.

Suddenly, a knock came on the door. “Allura?” Shiro’s voice sounded from the other side and Allura quickly put down the brush after she put her hair in a bun.

“Just a moment!” Allura called back and her heels clicked starkly against the polished marble floor of the small living room of her suite. Since it was the company that made the reservations to this five star hotel, she and Shiro were place into separate suites. Whereas if Shiro had only known about the conference prior to the other night’s phone call, he would’ve fixed it so that he could share the suite with her.

They were dating, after all.

Ignoring the heat that bloomed and tinted the dark skin of her cheeks, Allura opened the door and when she saw Shiro, well, let’s just say that all words went down the drain and her throat went dry.

Shiro absolutely stunning in a black on black suit accented by a metallic violet tie while his dark hair peppered with silver was combed back neatly.

“Oh, wow, Shiro.” Allura breathed and her hands absently reached out to run down his chest before her fingers carefully straightened his tie. “You’re so handsome.”

“Why, thank you, beautiful.” Shiro chuckled but he did blush and Allura found that adorable. “I was starting to think that I’m overdressed.”

“No, it’s prefect.” Allura smiled at him. “You’ll do great today, I just know it.” She closed her eyes when Shiro bent down and his hand tilted Allura’s chin up so he could kiss her.

Allura had predicted this and made sure to use non-smudge lipstick because if there’s one thing she learned about Shiro, it was that he was little thief. He stole kisses with every chance he got may it be during coffee break, dinner, in the elevator, in the care, or when  he would step out to Allura’s desk and bend his head to kiss her silly before he grinned and walked back in his office.

“Alright, enough of that.” Allura laughed softly as she broke off from the kiss and ran her fingers affectionately to brush Shiro’s chiseled jaw. “We’ll be late.”

“Always keeping me in check, huh?” Shiro quirked a brow and placed a hand to rest on the dip of Allura’s hip.

“Of course.” Allura rolled her eyes and she ran her fingers along Shiro’s tie again, marveling the stark deep violet color of it. “This is a really nice tie.”

Shiro allowed a moment of silence to pass between them while he studied Allura. An enigmatic look passed over his eyes before he cleared his throat.

“What’s wrong?” Allura cocked her head to the side and looked at Shiro, confused. “Are you feeling ill?”

“I,” Shiro began. “Well, I got you something that matches my tie.” He smiled nervously.

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” Shiro gently led Allura back into her suite and closed the door behind them. He towed her to where the upright mirror was and made her face her reflection with him standing behind her.

“Shiro, what are you doing?” Allura’s brows furrowed now and she watched as Shiro reached for something inside his inner breast pocket.

“This is for you.” Shiro reached and encircled his arms around Allura while a single necklace hung on his fingers. The chain was glimmering white gold and the pendant was a simple and yet beautiful teardrop amethyst. He clipped the clasp close and allowed his fingers to gently brush the bare skin of Allura’s nape as he placed the necklace around her neck. “There, now we match.”

“Sh-Shiro…” Allura’s eyes went wide and her hand went up to her throat to gently touch the pendant. “This looks expensive. I can’t accept this!”

“I won’t lie about the expensive part.” Shiro chuckled and his arms encircled around Allura as he embraced her from behind and nuzzled her neck. “But please, accept it as my gift to you.”

“For what?” Allura breathed and closed her eyes while she savored the warmth she felt. “It’s not even my birthday.”

“Should there be a reason?” Shiro asked. He smiled at her from their reflection on the mirror. “Besides, it looks good on you. It matches your eyes and,” Shiro paused and leaned in to press a lingering kiss on the side of Allura’s neck. Shiro allowed a small smirk and it earned him a soft breathy moan from the woman in his arms.

“It’s a very special necklace.”

“What’s the story behind it, Shiro?” Allura asked. She turned around within Shiro’s embrace and this time, wrapped her arms around him to return the gesture of affection. “I am most curious.”

“I’ll tell you later on.” Shiro smiled and pressed kiss on Allura’s forehead. “When the time is right. But right now, we have to get going because it’s getting late.”

~

Shiro wasn’t kidding during dinner the other night when he said the business conferences were bloody. Now, Allura sat beside Shiro in a huge room of CEOs trying to out best each other in settling deals. Their PAs sat beside them and tactfully took notes and handed over files while at the same time glaring at other secretaries in a silent bitch-look competition. Allura’s earned a couple of stink eyes but she decided to be the bigger person and snubbed them.

However, this was also Allura’s first time to see Shiro with his CEO’s mask on. The hairs on her nape stood when she finally witnessed how Shiro was when on the job and if there was one thing she was sure about, Shiro was a totally different person when he was working.

Cold. Calm. Intelligent. Ruthless.

He was far from the man that held Allura in his arms and kissed her lovingly  while he whispered words on love in her ear. Allura had to constantly remind herself to steel her gut and pound into head that this Shiro was an illusion. The real Shiro was kind, lovely, and a wonderful man who treated Allura with care. However, whenever Shiro would turn his head over his shoulder to whisper something to her, Allura saw the light in his eyes return and a small smile played on his lips. There were moments when he would ask for some papers while Allura meticulously typed on the laptop but there were also moments when Shiro would ask her if she was doing alright despite the heavy, intense environment.

Whenever Shiro started to lose his cool train of thought because of the spur of the moment, Allura would place her hand on his lap and give a gentle squeeze to assure him. In response, Shiro would lace their fingers together underneath the table when Allura’s hands weren’t busy typing something.

Shiro was front line and Allura was support. Together, they were an unstoppable and efficient duo.

~

“Sweet mother of all things holy.” Allura plopped on the shotgun seat of the BMW they had rented during their stay in the city. “That was… terrible.”

“I told you so.” Shiro sighed as he got behind the wheel after he took off his jacket, folded up his sleeves to his elbows, and his tie down a bit. “But you know what? You did great for a first timer in the battlefield.”

“What more of you, Shiro?” Allura smiled at him. “You were able to seal a ten million dollar deal. You’re amazing!”

“No, I’m not.” Shiro tore his eyes away and chuckled bashfully. “I just, you know, cornered Zarkon to agreeing.”

“Which,” Allura waved a finger knowingly. “If I may point out, you executed with terrifying precision.”

Shiro started the car and in the silence of the moment, Allura watched him grip the wheel with both hands and the muscles on his forearms tensed when he did so. She thought that the tattoo sleeve that was exposed on Shiro’s right arm appeared beautiful against his black dress shirt.

And bitable.

“Hey, Allura.” Shiro began and Allura quickly looked away before he noticed that she was ogling him.

“Yes?”

“Since this mad circus is over,” he smiled at her. “Why don’t we go out and celebrate?”

“Right now?” Allura’s eyes widened.

“Well, yeah.” Shiro replied. “I mean, we fly back tomorrow morning so we won’t have the time then. This city’s well known for its lively nightlife.” Shiro picked up his phone and started to scroll around. “Just gonna make a quick reservation aaaand done.”

“W-What, wait, where are we going?” Allura looked unsure now. They already had dinner at a banquet served after the conference so what’s the point in making a reservation?

“The Aurora.”

“WHAT?”

That place was only the most expensive, VIP club found in this city. Lance had told Allura about it because it was always used as the venue for shooting music videos and album debut parties, among other glitterati events.

“Aren’t we too old to be going to a club?” Allura asked and Shiro gave her an exasperated look.

“Sweetheart, we haven’t even hit forty yet. I’m hurt!” Shiro’s voice cracked as he whined at the unbelievable things Allura said and that made her burst into giggles but most of all, her cheek bloomed with a blush when Shiro called her ‘sweetheart’.

“I’m just kidding.” She replied. “Let’s go celebrate.”

After smoothly weaving through the traffic that evening, Shiro and Allura found themselves at the front door of a lavish and prestigious looking club. Shiro led Allura past the waiting line outside the door and the bouncer unclipped the red velvet rope at the entrance that he was guarding.

“Right this way.” They were led by one of the attendants and they walked by the first floor where there were several people partying on a wide and elevated neon lit dancefloor. It didn’t look like one of those places that are riddled with the chaotic wildness of youth, but instead, this place actually had a sense of class to it that their prepped up office clothes actually made them blend in.

“Uh, Shiro?” Allura whispered nervously at her lover. “Are we… well, that looks…”

“Unless you want to.” Shiro immediately caught the edge of her tone. “But we have a private booth where we won’t be bothered although we’ll still be able to see the first floor.”

True enough, the attendant led them up to the second floor that looked more like a balcony of private glass rooms. After they were left on their own, Shiro opened the door for Allura who stepped inside. Breath rushed out of her; the walls were made out of glass lined with thick velvet curtains that were tied to expose the dancefloors filled with swaying club goers. The bar looked like it was flowing with patrons as well but the music below only bounced through the soundproof glass of their private booth.

“This is impressive.” Allura knocked on the glass wall, this room truly looked like the best money could buy.

Shiro closed the door behind him. “It’s also mirrored from the outside. We can see them but they can’t see us.” He prowled towards Allura and placed his hands on her shoulders before he slid them down to caress her arms. He leaned in to whisper in her ear; “We have privacy here.”

Allura turned in his arms and came to face him, their faces so close that their breaths lingered hotly between them. “I’m interested in seeing the commodities here.” She allowed a small smile. “With you, of course.”

“Oh?” Shiro quirked a single brow and a small smirk played on his lips. “I ordered dessert since we weren’t able to have some at the banquet earlier. Shiro gestured at the lavish couch that faced the view from below. “Do you like strawberries?”

“I love them.” Allura replied and closed her eyes as she allowed herself to exhale a shaky breath when Shiro reached up to brush his thumb against the plumpness of her lower lip.

“More competition for me, Allura?”

“You sure have a certain possessiveness in you, do you?”

Shiro was about to lean in and steal a kiss when the chime of the doorbell rang. Startled, the two of them pulled back and stared at the door.

“Wow, those strawberries sure are fast.” Shiro scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. “I’ll go get that.” He motioned at the couch. “Why don’t you go and get comfortable, princess?”

Allura bit her lower lip when she tried to fight of a smile. No one’s called her that before and it really made her face burst in heat especially with the tender look in Shiro’s eyes as he used that endearment. She went on ahead and settled on the couch while Shiro went to get the door.

The moment Allura plopped down on the couch, her eyes widened at how comfortable it was. This couch was nothing compared to her couch at home or any other couch she has ever sat on. This one made her feel like she was sitting on a cloud and even that was impossible.

“What,” she muttered in wide eyed wonder. “Where has this couch been all my life?”

“If you like it so much, I can buy it.” Shiro suddenly popped up and he had a playful smile on his lips while he placed down a silver tray on the fancy looking coffee table in front of the couch.

“No! Absolutely not!” Allura protested. Her hand went up to her throat and touched the pendant of the necklace Shiro gave her. “You’ve already spent so much on this.” She paused and lowered her gaze. “I appreciate that you buy me nice things but I don’t want to come out like I’m imposing.”

Shiro gave Allura a thoughtful look after he served the bowl of strawberries along with a silver bowl of melted white chocolate and a bucket filled with ice where a bottle of champagne was propped up. Allura sure was different from the women he had dated in the past. Hyuna, of course, was out of the list since Keith’s mother and Shiro never dated and it was pretty much one sided.

But all those women he was with or were forced on her by her mother, they all wanted something material from Shiro. But Allura, she never once asked anything from Shiro. It was always him offering things to her.

“Not to sound utterly cliché.” Allura finally said as she lowered her gaze on the carpeted floor. “You’re awfully sweet, Shiro, but really, just being with you is enough for me.” She smiled as she felt the hard stone of the pendant between her fingers. “These gifts, they’re bonuses.”

“Your humility never fails to surprises me every day, sweetheart.” Shiro smiled and sat down beside her. He reached for the champagne, popped it open, and poured the golden liquid into two glass flutes. Allura smiled radiantly at him in thanks as she took the glass.

“However, if it makes you feel better,” Shiro motioned at the necklace around Allura’s neck. “I didn’t spend a dime on that.”

“Oh?” Curiosity in Allura’s voice. “Where did come from, then?”

“Like I said earlier, I’ll tell you when the time is right.” Shiro smiled and offered his own glass to a toast. “To years ahead?”

Allura looked at the glass he offered and smiled before she clinked her glass with his. “Together.”

Their evening drew on and the champagne burned through their veins pleasantly but they weren’t drunk.

“This certainly is a new experience for me.” Allura smiled as she watched the people at the other side of the glass. “I’ve never been to a club before much less a prestigious one like this place.”

“Really?” Shiro asked. “Even before…”

Allura nodded. “Besides dorm parties when I was a freshman, my youth was basically whisked away. I didn’t have time for such things when I was juggling two jobs and a bouncing baby boy.”

Shiro never took of his eyes off Allura while she spoke. Despite the many other things to look at in the club, she was all he saw. “You know,” he began. “You’re strong.”

“I have to be.” Allura now turned to look at him, her blue lilac eyes flickering with determination. “I have to be strong for Lance and for the other people I love.”

“Who are those other people?” Shiro asked.

But Allura just shrugged and took a sip of her champagne. “My world is small, believe it or not. You might even know _them_ already.”

Thinking at she was talking about about the family she left back home, Shiro settled at that guess and respectfully dropped the subject. However, something didn’t click; did Allura even have anything left for her family after they had cast her out? There was her mother, yes, the good woman still cared to make contact with her daughter and grandson, but what about the others?

Letting it go moments later, Shiro took a piece of strawberry from the bowl and dipped it in molten chocolate sauce.

“Here, try this.” Shiro offered the treat to Allura.

“Shiro, I can assure you I can feed myse---“ But Allura was interrupted when Shiro shook his head.

“Humor me, sweetheart.”

His deep tone rubbed along Allura’s skin like silk. Enticed by the look in Shiro’s dark eyes, Allura carefully leaned towards him and parted her lips before she bit into the fruit. However, as she did so, she didn’t break eye contact with Shiro.

The look in Allura’s eyes, the way her body leaned towards him, and how a single droplet of juice trickled from the strawberry between her lips slid down her exposed throat; it was all an irresistible invitation for Shiro.

Allura gave a soft moan from the deliciousness as she bit through the strawberry and the sound instantly flared up Shiro’s body.

“I’m thinking that you’re just doing that on purpose now.” Shiro smirked.

“What are you talking about?” Allura gave him an innocent look but a sly smile played on her lips. “You fed it to me, didn’t you?”

In response to the sass, Shiro closed the distance between them and crushed their lips together in a hot and passionate kiss. Allura gasped within in and grabbed Shiro by the lapels of his shirt to tug him closer before she locked her arms around his neck.

“Oh.” Allura sighed airily as Shiro moved down from her lips to her neck and she shivered when she felt his warm tongue lick the strawberry juice that trickled there. “Shiro…”

Shiro hissed against her hot skin when Allura dug her nails on the skin of his nape. He lifted his head and latched on to kiss Allura again who eagerly opened up to grant him entrance. The kiss deepened and he growled when Allura playfully bit his lower lip.

“Claws and bites,” Shiro whispered with a dark smirk. “What other surprises do you have?”

Allura, Shiro realized, was lovely and gentle. But she has a hidden side to her that was repressed and was begging to get out; A certain wildness that intrigued Shiro and he decided to coax it out of her.

Now, what lies beyond that was something they’ll discover together.

“My room or yours?” Allura asked breathlessly.

“If we can even make it to the bed.” Shiro grinned.

~

**_Meanwhile…_ **

“Keith, you’re cheating!” Pidge accused while they studied how Lance and Keith were a tangle of limbs over the twister mat.

“How the fuck is this cheating?!” Keith demanded. “My foot is touching the red circle!”

“No it’s not!” Lance protested from underneath Keith as he tried to hold his position. “It’s on the white area!”

“It’s in!”

“It’s not!”

“Hm,” Shay, who was tasked with spinning the arrow, spoke up. “Maybe we should let this go and spin again?”

“Thank you, Shay!” Keith groaned. “You’re a lifesaver!”

“That’s not fair for Lance.” Pidge said. “But I don’t want to be responsible for a break up.

That evening, Lance and Keith were at Pidge’s house along with Hunk and Shay. Pidge suggested that their squad should hang out at their place since their parents were out of the country for a vacation and Matt doesn’t get home from the hospital until later.

Right now, they were at the Holt’s spacious living room playing a game of twister while lively music played from Lance’s Spotify playlist on his phone that was attached to the surround sound system.

After Pidge and Hunk were eliminated, Lance and Keith were now neck on neck for the title of Twister Champion. Shay’s boyfriend was in the kitchen making snacks to last them until Matt came home with the two dozen McNuggets Pidged asked him to bring.

“Guys, I’m dying here!” Lance whined. “Just let that last one go. Keith’s too short anyway.”

“Hey!” Keith snapped and Shay broke out into musical laughter. She flicked her fingers and spun the red arrow on the dial.

“Alright, new one for Keith.” She announced. “Right hand, yellow!”

“Ha! Take that, Lance!” Keith grinned triumphantly as he reached back and slammed his right hand on a yellow circle.

“Oh, yeah?” Lance challenged and his eyes shifted to meet Shay’s topaz ones. “Hit me up, Shay.”

“Coming right up!” Shay replied with enthusiasm. “Left hand, blue, Lance.”

“What?!” Lance gaped with shock. “I’ll fall!”

“Rules are rules.” Pidge grinned, amused that Lance’s ego came back to bite him back on the ass. “Go on.”

“Fine.” Lance hissed and reached over Keith as far as he could to touch the nearest blue circle. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to reach far enough and he ended up knocking both him and Keith down.

“Lance, hold on!” Keith protested but it was too late as his arms gave out and he crashed on top of Lance on the Twister map.

“Ow!” Lance cried out as Keith fell on top him and air rushed out of his lung from the impact. “Keith, get off me! You’re fucking heavy!”

“Well, you weren’t complaining last night, were you?”

Color and heat burst on Lance his as he stared back in wide eye disbelief at Keith’s retort. Keith, on other hand, grinned back smugly at him.

“Oh, my~” If Shay can get a nosebleed right now, she would. “That’s interesting~”

“OH MY GOD.” Pidge cried out and covered their ears. “Too much info, Keith! I’m not listening la la la la la la!”

Suddenly, Hunk walked in with the Holt’s chocolate Labrador, Rover, following close behind. The dog eagerly stared at the plate of mini club sandwiches Hunk had in his hands.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted. “I got club house sammiches. So who won?”

“It’s a draw, Hunkybear.” Shay replied and got up to take the plate from Hunk after she stood on her toes to place a sweet kiss on Hunk’s lips as thanks for the sandwiches. Hunk grinned adorably and watched Shay set the plate down on a nearby coffee table. “Lance and Keith both gave out.”

“Aaaaannnnnd, something else, you know.” Pidge sang out but when Hunk gave them a curious look, Pidge wagged their eyebrows.

“Huh?” then Hunk got it. “Oh. OH. OH HOLY MACARONNI CONGRATUALTIONS ON THE SEX, GUYS!” He cheered. “Do you guys want me to make you a cake?”

Pidge and Shay burst out laughing while Lance face palmed so hard that it actually hurt. “What the cheese. You’re all shitlords.” He then turned to Keith and poked him on the chest accusingly. “And _you_ , I am so going to snuff you with a pillow in your sleep, king shitlord.”

Keith shrugged while he smiled innocently. Lance groaned and wished that the ground would just swallow him whole. However, Rover’s ears perked up when they heard the front door open and the lab quickly bounded to the door while he barked excitedly.

“Katy?” Matt called from the hallway.

“Yeah, we’re in the living room!” Pidge called back. “Follow the music and raging teen spirit!”

Shortly, Matt Holt appeared on the living room hallway carrying two paper bags of McDonalds.

“Here you go.” He smiled tiredly. He wore his scrub shirt while his white coat was slung over his shoulder under the strap of his bag. “Two dozen chicken nuggets. Knock yourselves out.”

“Thanks, Matt!” Pidge went to take the nuggets from their older brother and placed them on the table along with Hunk’s sandwiches.

“Sure, no prob.” Matt smiled back and when he looked up, his eyes locked with Keith’s. “Oh, Keith. Hello, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Same here, doc.” Keith nodded politely. “Uh, thanks again for that time.” Of course, that was the memorable moment in history when they found Keith passed out drunk at the park.

“It’s no problem at all.” Matt smiled. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Unfortunately, Matt can no longer contain his exhaustion and he yawned. “Now, I’m going to go hit the hay, kids. I had two neuro procedures today and it did a number on me. So I’d like to ask you to keep it down, please.”

“You got it!” Lance grinned.

“Of course.” Shay smiled.

“’Night, Matty!” Pidge waved and after a nod, Matt padded upstairs followed by Rover.

Lance went to his phone by the entertainment system to lower the volume. While he did so, he also checked his call log and inbox for anything from his mother.

“Hm.” Lance frowned as he scrolled through old messages.

“What’s up, baby?” Keith came to stand beside him and looked at Lance’s phone screen. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing.” Lance shook his head. “It’s just I haven’t heard from mom or Shiro since morning.” The last text he got was from Allura who told him that the conference was about to start so she won’t be available. Allura also told Lance that Shiro says hi and he’s asking if Keith’s giving him any trouble.

“Those conferences are like a chopping block and it’s basically a battlefield for sealing multimillion dollar deals.” Keith replied and he idly wrapped an arm around Lance’s waist. “Sometimes I don’t hear from Shiro until the morning after. He’s usually so exhausted.”

“Oh, okay.” Lance looked at his phone one last time before he placed it back on the speaker dock. “I guess they probably went to bed early, huh?”

~

Allura gasped when Shiro pinned her hard against the elevator wall while his mouth battled it out with hers.  Shiro punched the button to their floor with one hand while his other arm was wrapped around Allura who was pressed against him.

“What if someone gets in with us?” Allura panted against the wild kiss but there was laughter in her voice. All this giddy excitement had worked her up to let loose and it felt great after holding it back for the many months she’s been attracted to Shiro. Not only that, she hasn’t been this excited since her college days and she never realized how much she missed.

“We own the floor last time I checked.” Shiro grinned against her lips while his hand crawled to the small of her back and the way his fingers pressed against her skin when he reached lower to cup her ass, it earned him a soft moan from Allura.

“You know sweetheart,” he slightly pulled back. “I can tell you’re holding back.” He kissed her and whispered sensually against her lips; “Let go.”

“Really now?” Allura’s voice became airy and her tone held a playful edge to it. Her fingers trailed up to caress the smooth silkiness of Shiro’s tie which was pulled down and the first two buttons of his black dress shirt undone to expose his throat. Unable to resist, Allura undid Shiro’s tie until the piece of clothing was completely off.

“I’m not sure, Shiro.” Allura said as she slid the silk tie off and it made a smooth sound as it glided off the material of Shiro’s shirt. “Do you think you can handle it?”

 

The last thing Shiro expected was being pushed by Allura to sit on the bed. He gazed up on her night-kissed beauty; her dark skin was illuminated by the dim bronze of the lamplight. Her hair was a black and silver cascade down her back. Her lips were kissed bruised and sported a small smile while her blue lilac eyes held a sinister playfulness within them which reflected this side of hers that only Shiro was allowed to see.

Allura met Shiro’s burning gaze straight on while her thumb caressed the silkiness of the satin tie she still held between her fingers. Shiro encouraged her to be herself and to let go of all the control; to let this other side of her out.

This other side of hers that enjoyed control.

Allura draped the tie around her neck before her fingers started to undo the buttons on her blouse one by one and in agonizing slowness. She wanted to play with Shiro for a little bit and see how much she could push at his patience before he, too, lost that gentlemanly control.

Shiro’s eyes followed every movement of Allura’s fingers as they trailed down her body until the blouse slid off and fell to the floor. Blood roared through his system and his mouth went dry at the sight of that lacy black bra.

“Is that coming off too?” he asked with a smirk.

“If I feel like it.” Allura replied in a languid tone. Her hands trailed down to caress her curves and they settled on side zipper of her skirt.

“Take it off.” Shiro growled while his dark eyes stared at her with hunger in them.

“Sorry.” Allura’s Cheshire cat smile was slow and her eyes glinted from the dim light of the room. “I’m the one giving orders here.”

She stepped closer towards Shiro and looked down from where he sat on the edge of the bed. She ran a finger down the side of his cheek until trailed down his throat and settled on the lapel of his shirt.

Then Allura straddled Shiro and he quirked an eyebrow. When he moved his hands up to settle on her hips, she tugged them off when she felt that he was sneaking to pull down her zipper.

“You really are a little thief, dear.” Allura bit her lower lip when Shiro’s fingers caressed along the skin of her back. “Lie down.”

“Yes, ma’am.” And Shiro did.

“Hands over your head.”

“And if I don’t want to?” Shiro challenged Allura’s authority but then, he hissed when Allura ground herself against his strained erection.

“That’s the best thing you’ll get.” She smirked. The dark look on Shiro’s eyes told Allura that she was starting to test his patience but he complied and Allura beamed at her victory. She took Shiro’s tie and loosely tied his wrists with it enough that he can break through easily.

“Well, well,” Shiro breathed. “I guess you still have a lot of surprises in you.”

“You did tell me to let go, right?” Allura leaned in to kiss him but instead of it coming off as too strong, her kiss was tender, almost comforting and Shiro returned the act with equal if not with more intimacy.

“Allura.” He whispered. He was lost in the kiss that he didn’t notice that Allura’s fingers were undoing the buttons on his shirt and when he felt it, she was already halfway. His eyes snapped open and he broke through the tie as he sat up, but it was already too late.

Shiro’s shirt parted in the middle as he sat up and the lamp dimly illuminated a diagonal jagged scar from the middle of Shiro’s chest that ran over his left pectoral muscle before it ended at the side. Allura stilled and stared with wide eyes while Shiro tore his eyes away and pulled at his parted shirt to cover himself up.

“Hey, wait,” Allura said when Shiro began to pull away. She refused to move from straddling Shiro and placed her hands over his. “Shiro…”

“I know, it’s disturbing.” Shiro muttered. “I heard that before. That’s the stupid reason why I keep my shirt on during sex.”

That was how Allura realized that Shiro was insecure about it. But heard it before? Did someone call him out on it? Whoever that person was, Allura wanted to break a vase on their face for hurting Shiro’s confidence like that.

“Shiro,” Allura’s voice had regained its usual gentleness. She cupped Shiro’s face and made him look at her before she pressed her forehead against his. “I don’t find it disturbing.”

“You don’t?” Shiro asked and Allura responded by parting his shirt and running her hand to caress his scar.

“Not at all.” She smiled. “It’s _you_. It’s part of you. And I…” she paused and her gaze lowered. “I adore you the way you are.”

_Adore._

Dammit. Wrong word, but Allura didn’t want to make the mood worse. What if Shiro didn’t feel that deeply?

Shiro felt her words tug at his heart and he nuzzled the crook of Allura’s neck, earning him a soft sigh. “I guess I lost myself there.” His hand crawled up to her throat and touched the amethyst pendant of her necklace.

“Then should we get back on track?” Allura leaned in to plant a wet kiss on his lips. “I really do find you sexy.”

“So straightforward.” Shiro chuckled. The tenderness that resulted from his little secret made him feel warmth bloom in his chest. Finally relaxing underneath her touch as she ran the tips of her fingers on his scar, Shiro kissed Allura again. But as their kiss got deeper, Allura deviated from his lips and angled down to pepper feather light kisses on the side of his neck.

Adjusting her position and removing herself from being straddled on Shiro’s lap, Allura sank to the floor while continuing to plant kisses down Shiro’s body. Shiro shivered when Allura lovingly kissed the twisted scar on his chest down to the hard plane of his abs and he leaned back against his elbow when her lips reached his navel.

The question lingered in Allura’s eyes as she looked up from her kneeling position on the floor between Shiro’s legs. Shiro smiled at her and reached to latch his fingers on the top of her head but Allura pulled away, her former playfulness returning.

“No,” she said. “Our rule still applies. You can’t touch me until I say so but I can touch you.”

“That’s not fair.” Shiro said tightly and his breaths started to go in gasps as Allura massaged the strained bulge in his pants. “Sweetheart, please.”

“Since you asked so nicely…” Allura continued by unbuckling Shiro’s belt. She popped off the button of his pants and slowly pulled down the zipper. Shiro’s hands clenched on the sheets of the bed at the relief of getting that damn belt off and the anticipation of feeling Allura wrapped around him.

* * *

 

His whole body went haywire when cold air hit his hot erection after Allura drew him out. His muscles went tight and he gasped for air while he tried to stop himself from reaching for her.

“Not yet.” Allura said. She knew that she was almost there; she was so close to making Shiro lose it. She started to stroke his cock in a slow, maddening rhythm and Shiro bucked his hips to match. “Well, I’m flattered.”

To reward Shiro’s eagerness, Allura leaned in to press a wet kiss on the crest of the swollen head and Shiro hissed out a curse.

“Watch your mouth. I just rewarded you.” Allura said but the way Shiro looked at her with that tight smirk on his lips as he panted made her core bloom with heat.

“ _You_ watch your mouth.” But Shiro threw his head back when Allura flicked out that pink tongue to glide it on the veins of his shaft without breaking that sensual eye contact. “Allura, this game is getting really difficult to play with you being like that.”

“Then let go.” Allura threw back the words Shiro used to encourage this side of hers. She wanted Shiro to enjoy their secret moment together by shedding that outer skin and coaxing out his hidden side as well. “I can handle my man.”

Without a second thought, Allura took Shiro into his mouth and Shiro’s fingers pulled against the sheets as she gave a long, wet suck.

“You…” Shiro growled, panting. “Are driving me insane, Allura.”

“I know.” Allura took the time to reply before she took Shiro’s cock in again and repeated her teasing sucks as she started to bob her heard back and forth but still in a slow rhythm.

“Allura,” Shiro moaned. “ _Please._ ”

Bingo.

Pulling away after one final suck, Allura gave the swollen head a little kiss before she stood up gracefully to her full height in front of Shiro. Her hands went to the side zipper of her skirt which she pulled down and the black fabric pooled on her feet. With grace, she stepped out of the fabric, her four inch heels making distinct clicks on the wooden floor.

Shiro marveled at Allura’s beauty, now garbed in nothing but her black lace bra, matching lace panties that hugged her figure and those sexy heels. She certainly took his breath away and made his body hot with wanting. However, it was the tender look in her eyes the tugged on his heartstrings because despite the passionate heat of the moment, her eyes held emotion instead of lust as they met with his.

“Okay.” She said softly and reached out a hand towards Shiro.

The next thing Allura knew, Shiro had grabbed her and tossed her on the bed. He kicked off his shoes and fully removed the remaining clothing he had on him. Shiro pinned Allura’s wrist above her head and she was taken back by the true display of his dominance. She gasped for breath when Shiro crushed their lips together and she arched into his touch when his free hand went down to massage the globe of her breast.

“Shiro…” Allura shivered while she savored his rough touch against the thin barrier of the lace. “I’m overdressed.”

“Hell yeah you are.” Shiro smirked and he let go of her wrist to lift her middle section up so Allura can reach behind her and unclasp her bra. She giggled when Shiro leaned in to pull away the piece of fabric with his teeth.

“Look, sweetheart,” he grinned. “No hands.”

“Shiro, cut it out!” Allura laughed gleefully and laid her head against the softness of the mattress. “Ah!” She gave out a startled cry when Shiro leaned in to place his mouth on one of her breasts and started to suck with wanton. She bit her lower lip and she shivered when Shiro purposely grazed his teeth against the soft skin of her breast before his mouth latched on to suck on her nipple. “Shiro, yes…”

“This needs to come off.” Shiro’s voice was as dark like his eyes. His hands pulled down her panties and completely took it off while Allura lifted her legs to cooperate. He stared at the soft nakedness of the woman underneath him dressed in nothing but her heels.

“God, Allura.” Shiro breathed as he looked at her. “You’re so beautiful.”

“As are you.” Allura smiled and placed a hand on Shiro’s chest, most specifically, over his scar. Her heart beat loudly in her chest and she felt radiant.

_She felt loved._

Allura wrapped her arms around Shiro’s neck when he leaned in after he got on top of her. He lifted her right leg and rested it on his shoulder before her reached down between her thighs. He smiled to feel how wet she was and Allura moaned and shivered upon feeling Shiro’s fingers brush against her slit.

He kissed her and Allura whimpered when Shiro started to touch her clit in lazy circles. The tension rose in her body and she rolled her hips against his rhythm with impatience.

“Just returning the favor.” Shiro smiled and Allura glared at him. “Hey, it’s only fair.”

Finally, Shiro dipped in one of his fingers and started to stroke along the inside of her wet sheath. Allura felt her nerves overload when Shiro inserted a second finger she cried out when he curved his fingers upwards while he pumped them in and out.

“Shiro, oh my god!” Allura cried out. Her voice heightened in pitch and became airy while she felt the tension rise between her legs.

“Here, huh?” Shiro asked, pleased that he found her sweet spot. He continued to work his fingers aggressively there until Allura arched up completely and cried out when she came hard. Shiro grinned in victory when he felt Allura tighten pulse around his fingers and he could only imagine how amazing she would feel when she tightened around his cock later on. “See? I let you come. I’m so much nicer than you.”

“Oh, shush.” Allura sighed as she fell from the peak of her orgasm.  She relaxed against the silkiness of the sheets, her lips parted to let out soft pants. “That was great.” She immediately blushed when Shiro lifted his wet fingers and licked one of them to Allura’s embarrassment. She felt electricity run down her spine when Shiro closed the distance between them to whisper hotly into her ear;

“I’m not done with you yet.”

Allura’s heart started to race when Shiro reached for a condom on the nightstand. But before he did anything else, he pressed his lips to kiss her temple.

“Are you sure, Allura?” he asked softly and she found the way his eyebrows bunched over his dark eyes in question utterly adorable.

“Yes.” She smiled and she leaned up to kiss the lines on his forehead while her hand slid up and down to massage his tattooed arm. Upon her consent, Shiro tore the wrapper and the sound made her body stiffen in anticipation. Shiro lifted both her legs up rest on his shoulders as he stood on the side of the bed with Allura’s bottom half hanging off. He took his cock and pressed the head against her entrance teasingly.

Then slowly, he pushed in.

“Shiro!~” Allura cried out when Shiro stretched her from the inside.

“Holy… shit…” Shiro groaned and despite the molten heat in her core from how Shiro took her, Allura can’t help but smile because she rarely heard Shiro curse. “Allura…” He threw back his head and savored her warmth around him. When the two of them had calmed down, Shiro started to pump in and out of her deeply in a rough rhythm.

* * *

 

The room was filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin and moans of pleas and pleasure. Words were rare but they held affection when they were spoken. It was like the two of them forgot about the world as they lost themselves in each other that night.

And when they reached their peaks, they held each other, spent. In that tender moment while they fell from the height of orgasm, nothing else mattered but each other. After a hot shower that was mostly spent with kisses under the steamy spray of water, Shiro and Allura got into bed after they dried off.

There wasn’t any need for them to say anything for their hearts did the talking because they beat as one. With Allura comfortably cuddled in Shiro’s embrace, he felt the exhaustion was over him and he yawned. It wasn’t long until he started to tredt between the thin line of wakefulness and sleep.

Allura was almost to the other side of sleep when Shiro spoke;

“Hey, Allura?”

“Hm?” She replied, half asleep.

They were both so sleepy and contented after their lovemaking that the words that rolled out were downright honest.

 

“I love you.”

 

Allura’s eyes snapped open while Shiro’s shut with sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are you gon do, gurl? Hm?


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm brews and two hearts takes the chance to love again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Screams into the void because she just finished watching Evangelion* Yeah, that's my greeting. I'm back for another update and I want to give you all my heartfelt thanks! OMG GUYS GUESS WHAT. More fan art came in! I have permission from the artists to put a link here that leads to their blogs so that you'll be able to see and appreciate their work. 
> 
> Taking Chances:  
> http://mikossu.tumblr.com/post/152883789363/my-boy-in-glasses-fanart-of-the-lovely-fic  
> http://jackalopes-vld.tumblr.com/post/153027232077/very-nsfw-art-of-taking-chances-by-lightoflunaris **(NSFW)**
> 
> These Stars Aren't You (Klangst One Shot)  
> http://seiii--tan.tumblr.com/post/150210806669/lightoflunariss-fic-these-stars-arent-you
> 
> Thank you so much. I feel honored that I was able to inspire something from you to create and it makes all the efforts of writing worth it. Everyone, if you have art/playlists/etc inspired by my works, please don't be shy and hit me right up on tumblr! I'll proudly put up your links in the story updates so the others can see your talent! 
> 
> Again, thank you very much. I love you all. Stay safe.

Chapter 25

**Flashback**

_“Takashi, come here.” Shiro’s grandmother beckoned him in her room that was located in the east wing of the Shirogane estate. “I want to give you something.”_

_Shiro, who was just seventeen back then, shuffled in and lowered his head in respect as he knelt on the cushion in front of where his aged grandmother was settled with a small black box resting on her lap._

_“Yes, grandma?” Shiro asked in their native language._

_“This,” His grandmother slid the box on the tatami mat towards his youngest grandson. “Is a very special necklace.” With her wrinkly fingers, she opened the lid of the black box to reveal a simple yet beautiful necklace. The teardrop shaped pendant was a polished amethyst that hung on a delicate white gold chain. “From this day on, this is yours, child.”_

_“I don’t understand.” Shiro lifted his gaze and met his grandmother’s kind eyes. “What would I need this for?”_

_The old woman chuckled before she coughed. “This here is one of the Shirogane Clan’s heirlooms. Your grandfather gave this to me before we were married. His father had done the same for his mother, and his father before him.”_

_“Oh?”_

_“Your grandfather appeared to be cold and sturdy as a mountain in winter,” His grandmother said. “But when we are alone, he is very loving. He just didn’t show it well with other people present.” She motioned at the necklace. “Now listen to me, Takashi. This necklace is what you will bestow upon the person who will hold your heart.”_

_She wagged a finger at him sternly before she continued; “Do not sell this no matter what happens. It’s older than all of us alive. It may be just a necklace for some, but for me and for those who held a sentimental value for it, it’s more than that.”_

_“So, it’s like an engagement ring?” Takashi asked, his cheeks blooming with color._

_“Not at all.” The grandmother shook her head. “That, my dear boy, is the gift of a promise. It symbolizes your heart and honor as a Shirogane to stay by their side no matter the storms and the battles you will go through together.”_

_Shiro nodded in understanding as he studied the deep violet pendant that was a stark contrast against the black velvet of the box where it rested._

_“Why me, grandma?” Shiro asked. “Why not Sven---I mean,” He paused. “I mean Soichiro? He’s older.”_

_His grandmother’s gaze fell on the tatami mat and sadness clouded them. “Because, with how your mother has Soichiro’s neck on a leash, I’m afraid your older brother won’t last.”_

**End of flashback.**

 

The night drew on and soon, the city’s nightlife died down a little as the hours ticked to the unholy hours of the wee morning. Shiro slept peacefully, feeling utterly contented and comfortable snuggled in the thick comforter of the bed. However, when he turned to his side, his right arm gave a soft thump as it landed on the mattress.

It was empty.

Dark lashed fluttered open when Shiro realized that Allura was gone from beside him. He sat up and looked around the bedroom that was mildly illuminated by the full moon outside and the faint lights of the city. Shiro reached for his phone that was on the night stand to check the time and the numbers blared 2:14 AM when the screen flashed.

He frowned. Could it be that Allura went back to her own hotel room? The thought sent a dull ache in his chest at the possibility that Allura ditched him like what happened between them was just a silly one night stand. He activated his phone’s screen again to check his inbox and saw that Keith had texted him;

**From Keith (Sat, 11:22 PM):**

**‘In case ur wondering, we r ok. Haven’t set anything on fire yet. Don’t 4get our souvenirs. My baby says hi btw.’**

Still feeling groggy with sleep and the pleasant buzz that came from having amazing sex, Shiro just replied with a thumbs up emoji.

After he set his phone back on the nightstand, Shiro swung his long legs over to the edge of the bed and he was glad that he had decided to wear sweat pants after his shower because he had no idea where the hell he left his slacks after the wild and lovely rendezvous he had with his beautiful woman.

Now, said beautiful woman was gone from his side. Shiro felt a little upset and the bed was too big, cold, and lonely to go back to sleep on so soon. So what he did was he got up from bed and padded outside to make himself something to comfort his nerves.

The door made a soft squeak as Shiro exited the bedroom. The hall way that led to the other parts of the suite was lit but not all the lights were turned on which it gave a gloomy aura that somewhat didn’t help make him feel better.

It was awfully quiet which made it even more lonely. It reminded Shiro of his days spent alone in his apartment when he was a cop back in the day. When he became housemates with a brooding nine year old named Keith, it became a little less lonely but something was still missing from his life.

Shiro was lost in his thoughts until he reached the archway that led to the lavish but dark living room. That was when he froze in his steps and his eyes widened;

Allura was on the couch by the large, ceiling to floor window that overlooked the glittering lights of the city. Her feet were tucked underneath her and her hands nursed a mug of steaming liquid. Allura was lost in thought as her solemn eyes watched the city below while she blew on her drink to cool it down a bit. However, what made Shiro’s heart quicken was that Allura wore nothing but her panties and the black dress shirt he was wearing earlier. Only a few buttons were made and the sleeves were loosely folded until her elbows but it still looked two sizes too big on her.  The necklace he gave her peeked out from the collar of his shirt and the violet pendant glittered when it caught the light.

Allura was bathed in the moonlight that flooded the dark room and her hair was a cascade of black and silver down her back, making her glow like a goddess that took Shiro’s breath away. Allura was utterly and undeniably beautiful.

“Allura?” Shiro asked gently when he managed to find his voice after his little upset mood completely dissolved away. Allura was slightly startled and turned her head to face him. The look on her face was that of confusion and surprise but those were all replaced by a gentle smile.

“Oh, hi, Shiro.” Allura glanced down on the mug she cupped between her hands then lifted it up to offer it to him; “Hot cocoa?”

With a helpless smile, Shiro walked over to the couch and plopped down beside Allura.

“Thank you.” He replied and carefully took the mug she offered before Shiro took a sip. He pulled back after and stared at the chocolatey concoction. “Wow, Allura, this is really good.”

“Just like my mom used to make.” Allura’s eyes fell sadly and they avoided Shiro’s dark ones. She resumed to watching the city and Shiro placed the mug on the coffee table before he carefully wrapped his arms around Allura’s form to which she responded to by leaning against him. Allura settled within their embrace and took solace from the warmth of Shiro’s shirtless torso.

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked after a while.

“Yes.” Allura replied quietly while she took his hand into hers and let their fingers intertwine. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

“If something’s bothering you,” Shiro offered. He then placed his chin on top of Allura’s head and cuddled her close. “You can tell me. I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

Allura wasn’t sure if she should open up the subject of what was keeping her up; it was what Shiro told her before he fell asleep and those were the three magic words that she didn’t expect to hear despite how she felt for him. Allura couldn’t help but think how complicated she was;

Her past had broken her so much that she didn’t know how to react when Shiro told her that he loved her. It was in this moment that Allura realized how deeply she was hurt but she decided not to jump into that subject.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?” She asked and Shiro’s response was to tighten their embrace.

“I felt that you were gone.” He said. “The bed’s cold and lonely.” He then leaned to press a kiss on her temple. When Allura reached towards him, she fingers brushed over his scar and she felt Shiro stiffen underneath her touch.

“What happened to you?” Allura whispered softly, the words were barely audible even within the moonlit silence of the living room. She’d stall the conversation as long as she can to give her more time to think.

However, the question was something Shiro expected but it was a memory he didn’t like to think about even if he wore a permanent reminder of it on his chest. But of course, Allura would want to know.

“Car chase.” Shiro began with a bitter smile. “I was new in the force back then and I was just on my second year. The suspect was in a getaway vehicle after he fled from the house where he shot someone. I was on shotgun while a colleague of mine was on the wheel.” He said. “And well, one thing led to another and he lost control. Our vehicle went off the road.”

Despite shortening the story to skip the more unpleasant details, this was the one part he can’t leave out. “We crashed into a construction site and there were broken pipes protruding from the ground. One of them broke through when we hit and stabbed me.”

“Oh my god.” It was a sharp gasp from Allura and her eyes were wide, almost fearful. She slid her hands up to rub Shiro’s chest before they rested on his shoulders. “And then?”

“It was a miracle that my vest lessened the impact when the pipe tore through so my heart wasn’t harmed and it was even more of a miracle that my head trauma wasn’t severe enough to kill me.” Shiro continued. “But the pipe was able to stab through and I was beat up pretty bad.”

He paused when Allura’s fingers touched his scar once again. “It took 26 stiches and two broken ribs but here I am. I was knocked out for a few days and when I woke up,” his lips pulled up on the corners as he remembered but the smile was a sad one. “Lucas was there keeping watch.”

“Lucas?” Allura repeated and Shiro nodded.

“Keith’s dad.”

“Oh.” Allura wondered what kind of man Keith’s dad was like. “You two sound pretty close.”

“Yeah.” Shiro leaned back against the couch and he loosened his arms that were around Allura so she could get comfortable as well. “Lucas was my best friend even though he was also my commanding officer.”

Shiro began to lose himself in telling Allura about his late best friend. “Keith got that headstrong attitude from him. Sometimes, I see Lucas in Keith.”

Allura relaxed against the couch and watched Shiro with a smile in her eyes. She, too, was pulled into the happy memories Shiro told her about. She appreciated that he told her about these aspects of his life and she felt happiness in her bloom from the trust the two of them have established.

“What about Keith’s mom?” Allura asked. But then, the light suddenly vanished in Shiro’s eyes and he fell into a kind of silence that made Allura regret asking the question.

“Oh, Hyuna?” Shiro forced a smile. “She’s…” he paused and suddenly, all the words were jumbled in his head. How could he begin to describe Keith’s mother? “Well… Keith has her eyes. She’s kind and a little stubborn but she’s very caring to the point that she’d yell at Luke when he comes home with a bandage.” He shook his head and muttered. “What a lucky guy.”

Allura noticed that there was an odd note of longing in Shiro’s voice. She couldn’t quite put her finger around it, but it did perk up her curiosity.

“She always worries about us.” Shiro continued with a sad smile. “She and Lucas took turns visiting me in the hospital after the accident.” He took a deep and trembling breath. “Besides Sven, the two of them… were all I had, and she’s…they’re…”

The way Shiro’s voice cracked with emotion at the painful memories made Allura realize that he loved Hyuna. Shiro loved her but that love was never returned due to the fact that Hyuna chose Lucas over him and yet, the three of them remained close. Shiro put their happiness… Hyuna’s happiness… over his own even if it hurt. And after the tragedy, he went as far as taking care of Keith without any form of maltreatment… all for them. 

Shiro really was selfless.

“Hey,” Allura looked up and gazed into those dark eyes while her hand pressed over the scar on his chest. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Shiro asked, confused.

“For being you.” She smiled. “For being wonderful.” A soft laugh. “I never thought… Someone like you still existed.”

Shiro has opened his heart to her, but Allura still felt reluctance to do the same. She averted her eyes to watch the glittering light of the city, grateful that the windows blocked the noise of the outside world. It made the lively view of twinkling lights have its own enigma. It wasn’t long before Shiro caught up with how Allura felt.

“I can tell you’re troubled.” Shiro trailed his finger up and rubbed the lines that creased between Allura’s brows. “See?”

“Shiro, you’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Of course not.” Allura heard the stubborn grin in Shiro’s voice even if she didn’t avert her eyes from the breathtaking cityscape. “Something’s wrong and I’m not going to let you go through it alone.”

“God, you’re hopeless.” She sighed with a smile but it was soon replaced with a mellow mood before she said; “I…was just thinking,” Allura paused, unsure. “About us.”

Dread started to swallow Shiro from the inside. It felt like a heavy blanket that snuffed him and made his heart hurt. Was he going to relive the same pain again? He hoped and prayed that he was wrong because he doesn’t know what he’d do if it happened again. But he knew he couldn’t jump into conclusions yet, so he asked;

“Do you regret what we did, Allura?” Sadness. Shiro knew this feeling too well; it was the paranoia of being rejected. “Do you regret us?”

“What?” Allura snapped her head to look at him. “No, I don’t. Not at all!” She reached to cup his face and her fingers trailed down to the shadow of his stubble. “Shiro, I don’t regret us.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Allura’s eyes bore deep into his and they glimmered like gems in the moonlight. She knew that she had to confront him about it because she had to be sure. Shiro had to be sure. Allura didn’t want to be led on again like she had been before. She’s been hurt bad enough in the past that she treaded with the utmost care that she can right now because she doesn’t want to end up torn again; she’s had enough of it.

“Do you recall what you told me before you fell asleep, Shiro?”

Allura dared to ask because she was sure that Shiro wouldn’t. However, her heart said otherwise; that part of her hoped that she, too, wasn’t dreaming.

“Yes.”

Shiro’s reply was so sure and his eyes never left hers as he said so. Allura’s heartbeat started to pound against the wall of her chest and she was lost for words.

So, Shiro remembered.

“And,” she forced herself to speak. “Do you… do you mean it?”

“Every word.” Shiro said gently and he reached up to caressed Allura’s cheek with his thumb. “Every. Single. Word.”

Allura didn’t say anything and just stared back at him with a look of shock in her eyes while Shiro was having an internal meltdown. They held each other’s stares while the hot cocoa cooled down where it was forgotten on the coffee table.

“Allura, listen,” Shiro finally broke the silence. “I won’t expect an answer from you right away but I want you to know how I feel about you. I want you to know what you mean to me.”

“Shiro---“ Allura began but the words were trapped in her throat. Ever since she had left home when she was only nineteen, only Lance and her mother were the only ones who told her that they loved her. She didn’t know how to feel now that it was coming from the man who she had feelings for. Those three words that were spoken by Shiro’s voice; the gentleness of his tone and the look of sincerity in his eyes as he assured her, it was all so overwhelming.

Owen never even said those words to her.

“Oh my god.” Allura tried to stop the wave of emotion that hit her while she struggled to even out her breathing. However, despite her best efforts, tears wetted her eyes a single sob escaped from her throat so she immediately pressed her thumb and index fingers over her eyelids in a desperate attempt to stop the tears. “I’m sorry… I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

Something in Shiro flared up; it was anger. This was the effect of what Lance’s father did to Allura. This reaction from her that he was seeing right this very moment was the deep wound that bastard carved. To leave Allura so wary and reluctant to open herself to accept the love of a man who was serious about her… It made Shiro want to do unspeakable things to Owen. But he wasn’t that kind of person; he’s going to prove to Allura that he’s better. Shiro intended to live up to what he told her before; that he will give her the love that she deserved.

“Allura.” Shiro gently ran the back of his fingers against the soft skin of Allura’s cheeks and he tilted her head up so he can gaze into those wet blue lilacs. Carefully, he leaned in to kiss away the tears that fell from those beautiful gemlike eyes. “You are such a strong woman, you know that?”

“I just…” Allura attempted to tear her gaze away but Shiro held her in place. Her voice was hushed and it came with little sobs. “I just don’t want to be wrong again.”

_Wrong._

Shiro was silent for a moment while his dark eyes bore deep into Allura’s. Gently, he took her hand and placed it over his chest so she could feel thunderous beating of his heart. He looked at Allura like she was the most beautiful woman in the whole universe.

“I don’t know everything that he did to you and I won’t ask.” No. Shiro won’t re-open her wounds with those painful memories.

“But this I promise you...” He continued with aching tenderness as he pressed his forehead against Allura’s. “I will never hurt you like he did.”

And with those, Allura finally allowed herself to cry. She let out all the anguish, anger, sadness, loneliness, and everything else she had been holding back for so many years. Allura released all the human pain she had been hiding behind her mask and she finally allowed her heart to love someone else again.

“Shiro,” she whispered against the warm skin of his throat when Shiro pulled her in to embrace her protectively while she wept. “I love you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Shiro buried his nose into the fluff of Allura’s hair nuzzled the top of her head lovingly. “You’ve made me so happy, Allura.” He told her. There was no way he was going to let her go and he will do everything in his power for them to last through the challenges that was going to come their way. “I won’t let anyone or anything in this world come between us.” Shiro promised her. He let his index finger brush against the pendant of the necklace around her neck.

_A promise._

“Don’t think you’re alone in this.” Allura wiped her tears with the lapel of Shiro’s shirt that she wore before she smiled at him. “I’ll always be with you.”

With that, Shiro and Allura sealed their promise with a deep and loving kiss.

 

~

 

The sleek black private jet landed on the runway after it descended from the dark skies during the wee hours of the morning. The door slid open after the portable staircase was attached to the side of the aircraft and the passengers emerged from the inside. The first to appear was a young woman in a gray business suit while her short straight jet black hair whipped in the wind. She was followed by an older woman who bore beauty as well as cruelty in her fine aged face. Her satin ocean blue kimono was pristine when it caught the airport lights.

Several airport attendants lined themselves up at the bottom of the stairs to greet the important new comers. After the young woman had descended, they all greeted unison as the older woman planted her sandal clad feet on the concrete.

“Welcome to America, Madam Shirogane.”

“Thank you.” Kimiko smiled but it did not reach her eyes that were sharp like broken glass.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hide 'yo wives. Hide 'yo kids.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Here's the update! I'd like to tell you guys that updates are going to be slower these coming weeks because school started back up and work's been harsh. So thanks so much for your patience, love and support!   
> So here you go! I hope you enjoy! For all of your who send me love on tumblr, bug hugs to you!! Happy Thanksgiving to my readers from the US! 
> 
> *Throws drama at you*

Chapter 26

“So I updated my book blog last night since I just finished the Hawthorne Chronicles and I was pretty disappointed towards the end.” Shay narrated as she walked along the garden of Altea prep with Pidge. They both hated Mondays but Pidge showed it more than Shay did as they grumpily stared at their avatar on Pokemon Go.

“You want to know what’s disappointing?” Pidge mumbled as they kept their phone in the outer pocket of their uniform jacket. “The stupid update keeps lagging the game.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage.” Shay beamed. “How many gyms have you taken hold off?”

“I have three in different accounts.” Pidge jabbed their thumb towards themselves in a show of pride. “The park fountain, our school library, and the 7/11 down the street.”

“See?” Shay shifted her bag pack’s strap to the other shoulder. “That’s a wonderful record.”

“But not enough.” Pidge replied. The two of them rounded a corner by the decorative sculpture fountain and entered the marble hallway lined with Greek inspired pillars. “I have my sights on a certain gym.”

“Oh? Where?”

“Voltron tower” Pidge replied. “And that place is currently defended by two people. Guess.”

“Oh my god, you don’t mean…?” Shay breathed.

“FiteMeFuckr24 and LittleBaeBlue.” Pidge narrowed their eyes. “They’ve been holding the place down for a week now and no one’s stopping those two.” They grinned with a sinister manner. “Not until me, of course. Voltron tower will be mine. MINE!” Shay quirked an eyebrow when Pidge cackled like a mad person. “I’m going to pry that gym from Keith’s and Lance’s cold dead hands!”

While Pidge was distracted babbling about the latest episode of the series they were watching after a change of subject, the two of them entered the main building but at the same time, Nyma and Rolo passed by.

Shay slowed down but Pidge appeared to not give two cents of shit about the ‘It Couple from the Gutters of Hell’ as they kept walking. Rolo and Nyma didn’t appear to notice them because they were caught up in their own conversation and as Shay walked on, she caught bits of the words they exchanged;

“…New lock.” Nyma said in a hushed tone. “Standard issue so it’ll be easy to break.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Rolo replied casually with his hands stuffed in his pants pockets while he strolled alongside Nyma. “As long as I can break that piece of shit.”

“Maybe he’ll cry like a little bitch.”

“Come running home to mommy.” Rolo snickered.

“Or his sugar daddy.” Nyma covered her mouth to suppress her giggles.

Shay wasn’t able to hear anymore as the two gained distance from them but when Rolo glanced back when he felt like someone was staring at them, Shay quickly averted her topaz eyes and stared ahead with a frown on her face. She felt troubled about what she heard but she can’t let paranoia get the best of her since there was no name mentioned. It could be anyone, right? However, her intuition kept nagging at her for some reason.

“Shay! Baby!” Hunk greeted as he closed his locker and Shay immediately felt her troubles melt away at the sight of that lovely grin on her boyfriend’s handsome face. Hunk walked up to her and Pidge and bumped fists with Pidge in greeting before he bent his head and planted a kiss on Shay’s lips.

“Ha, made ‘ya blush, beautiful.” Hunk beamed and Shay’s face turned red, clearly flustered.

“Oh my god,” Pidge groaned. “Get a room!”

“You’re just jealous because you don’t have a love life.” Suddenly Lance popped in with a smug grin on his face and he was followed by Keith who had his arms casually crossed over his chest.

“Love life?” Pidge repeated with a tone of distaste. “Ha! I’m sorry, but I’m married to science!”

Shay smiled at Keith and Lance’s arrival. Lance surely looked lively this morning and Keith was his usual quiet self, preferring to watch from the sidelines.

“Psh.” Lance rolled his eyes at Pidge then it was like a brick hit him on the head and he remembered. “Oh yeah! Check this baby out!” he took his bag pack and pulled out a big plastic jar filled with colorful gummies. Hunk’s eyes immediately widened with shock.

“Are those---“ He gaped.

“Ms. Pennypop’s Tootie Frootie Gummy Lions?” Shay finished in shock. “That candy is only sold in one state in the whole country!”

“Correct!” Lance snapped his fingers. “And I have it!”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if I didn’t tell Shiro to get us souvenirs.” Keith interjected coolly. But he didn’t notice it when Shay and Hunk glanced at each other in silent question as to why Keith called his dad by his first name.

“Yeah, well,” Lance scoffed. “We’re going to have a grand feast during break time so shut your quiznak, Keith.”

Keith just rolled his eyes. “I don’t think you’re using that word properly.”

“Bell in three, two, one—“ The bell rang just as Pidge said and the squad all looked at each other amidst the crowd of students who started to vacate the hallway to go to their respective classrooms.

“I’m a bit nervous now.” Shay admitted. “Today’s when they’ll give back the finals and tell us our initial ranking.”

“Hey,” Hunk comforted Shay and he ran his hand down the small of her back. “I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“I hope Elric didn’t feed me to the wolves.” Keith muttered. “That stupid chemistry exam’s the only thing that has me hanging on a thin thread.”

“We’ll find out soon. I just want this to be over with so we can have our quarterly interval break.” Pidge motioned towards the end of the hallway where their classroom was located.

“And the senior’s class trip.” Hunk grinned. “I’m pretty excited about it. We’re going on a ski trip up north.”

“Aw, man!” Lance slouched. “That’s so cool! Can I come with you? I can hide in your suitcase.”

“Your legs are too long.” Keith said, deadpanned.

“Shut up, Keith.”

“We should go.” Pidge interrupted before Keith and Lance got into an argument. The hallway was empty now and the prefects will start patrolling the hallway very soon. “The sooner the better, I want those gummy lions already.”

“Yup, lezzgoooo.” Lance howled with excitement, confident that he did well on his exams. Shay watched as Keith and Pidge joined him after a quick ‘see you later’.

“Uhm, Lance!” Shay called out when the juniors started to walk away.

“Yep?” Lance paused and looked over his shoulder at the adorable girl who stood beside Hunk. “What’s up Shay?”

“Just… keep an eye out on yourself.”

Keith stopped in his tracks and his violet eyes narrowed when he heard that. Was Lance hiding something from him?

“Huh?” Lance tried to mask the chill that ran down his spine. Did Hunk tell Shay about the messages? He wouldn’t break the bro code even with his girlfriend, right? “It’ll be okay, Shay! But I don’t think the exam results would kill me. Thanks for the fair warning!”

Shay just smiled and watched as Lance, Keith, and Pidge went to their classroom.

“Shay.” Hunk turned to Shay after the others were gone. “Is this what I told you about?”

Hunk knew that he could trust her as she trusted him. It was one of the foundations that made their relationship strong. Yes, he did tell her about the anon harassing Lance through text but since it hasn’t happened for several days now and Lance didn’t appear troubled anymore, Hunk thought that it was all over. However, Shay’s strange behavior made him think twice.

“Hunk,” Shay sighed. “Lance needs to let someone know; Keith, Mr. Coran, Ms. Allura, anyone!” she rubbed her arms to try and ease the feeling that made goose bumps appear on her skin. “I passed by Rolo and Nyma on the way in and I heard parts of their conversation.” She shook her head and her hair that was pulled up into a bun caught the morning sun.

“I just have this troubled feeling.” She finally sighed. “But I don’t want to overreact.”

“I don’t think you’re overreacting, baby.” Hunk said and he leaned down to plant a kiss on Shay forehead to comfort her. “You’ve got a really strong intuition, you know.”

“Let us hope for the kind mercy that my intuition is wrong.” Shay adjusted her bag’s strap again. “I guess I’ll see you at break time, then.” She stood on her toes this time to reach Hunk’s height as much as she could and kissed him.

“I love you. Do your best today.” She whispered, her topaz eyes shining through.

“I love you too, baby. See you later.” Hunk smiled and watched as Shay made a beeline dash towards the stairs to run to the next floor where her classroom was located.

Finally alone in the hallway, Hunk gave one last glance to where the juniors’ classroom was before he turned around to drag himself to his own classroom.

“Dammit.” He muttered to himself, his eyes dark with thoughtfulness and worry. “What did Lance ever do to them?”

~

“I already feel like celebrating!” Lance confidently leaned back on his desk and stretched up his arms. He gave a satisfied sigh when he felt his joints pop. “Just one more week then we get a month of freedom!”

“That is under the condition that I didn’t flunk anything.” Keith muttered and Lance noticed the worry in his boyfriend’s voice. It’s been a good few months, but the warning still stood like a red beacon of warning; if Keith’s grades didn’t pick up by this time, he’ll get kicked out of Altea before they even finish junior year. That was the sole purpose why Shiro hired Allura in the first place. Keith’s been doing his best but he can only do so much.

“Keith.” Lance’s gentle tone pierced through his troubled thoughts and he felt Lance’s hand cover his own. “I’m sure you kicked ass during the exams.”

“I hope so.” Keith replied and turned his hand so that their fingers laced together underneath the desk. “Allura’s a great tutor and all.” He winked and lifted Lance’s hand to press a small brief kiss on the back of it. “But she’s not my favorite.”

Lance blushed and his eyes darted around the classroom to make sure his other classmates didn’t see that little smooth as fuck move Keith pulled. He bit his lower lip when Keith’s hand lowered and rested on Lance’s lap. The moment he felt that hand caress inwards, Lance made a flustered hiss.

“Keith, knock it off! We’re in class!”

Then, Pidge cleared their throat. “Wow, Keith, thanks.” They said, deadpanned and clearly not bothered that Keith’s hand was starting to deviate from what was proper in the classroom. “After I went through the trouble of teaching you how to calculate for atomic mass, this is how you repay me?”

“Aw, Pidge, come on!” Keith pouted. “It’s not like that!”

“Shay taught you poetry and prose, you ungrateful overgrown wig mutant.” Pidge wiped away mock tears while Lance burst out into laughter.

“Hey!” Keith protested and now his own face turned red in embarrassment.

“And let’s not forget that most of the advance notes you used for chemistry were Hunk’s.” Pidge shook their head. “I’m devastated, Kogane. Truly and utterly betrayed.”

“I mean, thanks, guys.” Keith muttered and he felt like he shrunk. “I just…well, I really appreciate that you all pitched in to try and help me, you know.”

“Nah, I’m just messing with ‘ya, buddy.” Pidge grinned and pushed up their rimless round spectacles up the bridge of their pert nose. “Lance is right, if you did your best, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Keith smiled. He never really enjoyed his stay in Altea Prep until he actually had friends to call his own. And a lovely, sexy, kitty boyfriend with eyes like the ocean, a smile as bright as the sun, and that heart of gold was the absolute jackpot.

“Good morning, ladies and gents! A fine day to you all!” Suddenly, the whole classroom went still when Mr. Coran sauntered in and he waved a brown manila envelope in his hand. “Guess what I have?”

There were collective groans that filled the whole room and one of them was Keith’s. Coran settled down and placed his things on the desk. He adjusted his tie and smoothed out his coat before he took the envelope and opened it.

“Now, listen up, everyone.” He began and pulled out a single piece of paper. That was it; that was all that’s in the envelope. “An electronic copy of your grades has been emailed to your parents and guardians at approximately 7:05 AM as the system had scheduled it.” He lifted the piece of paper. “But I took the utmost liberty to pick up the names of the students who are the crème of the crop.”

Tension rose in the room as twenty five pairs of eyes stared at Coran expectantly and he reached up to caress his mustache. “I have the names of the top ten students in this piece of paper.” He said with a satisfied nod. “I will announce them one by one in descending order.”

Keith relaxed and knew that this was Lance’s and Pidge’s time to shine. Those two totally had this nailed on the head like they always have since they were freshmen. However, he felt impatient to know how he did and Shiro probably already saw his academic report if what Coran said was true.

“Ranking first,” Coran began. “Kath—“ He cleared his throat when he caught himself. “Pidge Holt.”

“Whoo yay!” Pidge grinned and glowed with pride. Lance and Keith bumped fists with them in congratulations then settled back as Coran continued.

“Second, Lance Calhoun.”

Keith beamed at Lance as he watched the other’s eyes light up with happiness. He was sure Allura will be proud of him too and Keith knew that his boyfriend would rank high. Coran continued down the list as he announced the names of their other classmates.

When Coran got to the bottom of the list, Keith suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Glancing up to make sure that Coran didn’t have his eyes on him, he pulled out his phone from his pocket underneath the desk and saw that there were two unread messages.

**Shiro (8:00 AM, Monday):**

**Congratulations, buddy! I knew you could do it!!!**

**Allura Calhoun (8:01 AM, Monday):**

**Keith, you’re amazing :D This calls for a celebration! I’ll make pasta tonight, how’s that?**

 

“What the hell?” Keith muttered and Lance looked over when he heard him. However, before Lance could even ask what’s wrong, their adviser cleared his throat.

“And this is a wonderful surprise!” he said cheerfully. “Even the whole faculty was shocked. We have a new comer among the top ranks.” Murmurs darted from the class and Coran turned his attention to briefly read the final name. “Last but definitely not the least, skyrocketing to top ten, Keith Kogane.”

“WHAT?!” Keith was sure Coran just said his name but how could that be? Him? Of all people? In the top ten? He shook his head. “Sir, are you sure that’s not typo?”

“Not at all!” Coran walked over to where Keith was seated in the amphitheater style classroom and handed him the paper. “See?”

And sure enough, it was there.

  1. _Kogane, Keith – 90.05 %_



“Holy fucking shit.” Keith breathed in disbelief while the whole class stared at him with shocked silence because it was not in his image to get golden grades like that.

“Now, Mr. Kogane,” Coran retrieve the paper from Keith and wagged a finger at him sternly. “You may have grasped the tenth rank but that does not excuse foul language.”

“U-Uh, sorry.” Keith blinked and nodded. “I was just… shocked.”

“Mind yourself next time.” Coran nodded but he patted Keith on the shoulder in approval. “Great job, my boy. Keep it up!”

When Coran turned to return to the front, Lance immediately threw his arms around Keith and pulled him into a suffocating hug. Pidge scrambled from where they were seated beside Lance and reached towards Keith to roughly ruffle his mullet.

“Keith, I’m so proud of you!” Lance didn’t care that their classmates saw how happy they were even if Keith was already choking from Lance’s constricting hug. “I knew you could do it! Top ten! Holy shit, Keith! You’re amazing!”

Suddenly, Lance forgot that they were in class and gave Keith a quick and happy kiss on the lips. Some of the their classmates hooted while some made giggling sounds but they all fell quiet when Coran looked over his shoulder to give them a look.

And for the first time for as long as he could remember, Keith felt proud of himself.

~

“I knew he could do it.” Allura smiled while she thumbed her text message to Keith and hit send. “He actually disciplined himself not to slack off during self-study days.”

“Keith’s a smart guy.” Shiro agreed. “Headstrong, always reckless, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders.” He smiled when Allura reached and placed a hand on his over the transmission stick where Shiro’s hand.

“I said I’d give him back his Ducati back if he manages to pass the exams but getting into the top ten was something I didn’t expect.” Shiro said. He then remembered that talk he had with Keith wherein they agreed that Shiro would get him a Ferrari if he made it into the honor roll at the end of the year. But since it’s just the end of the quarter, that verbal contract they had isn’t valid yet.   

“If Keith keeps this up,” Allura said. “He wouldn’t need me to teach him anymore.”

“If you think that you could be relieved of that,” Shiro replied. “Then it’s fine. You still have your other job so I can still be close to you.”

“Shiro, we’re dating.” She playfully patted his lap. “May I remind you that? And I think I enjoy that the most.”

“Me too, love.”

Allura fell silent and felt her heart beat faster at the new endearment. Shiro didn’t say anything more but the blush on his face matched Allura’s even if his eyes stayed focused on the road. He maneuvered the Audi smoothly along the traffic and they took a short cut in a residential street to avoid the heavier traffic downtown. It wasn’t long when they reached the Voltron tower and Shiro pulled over to park on his reserved slot.

When the two of them got out of the car, Allura walked over to Shiro and straightened his already pristine tie. “There we go.”

“I was pretty sure that it was spotless.” Shiro smiled down at Allura, feeling conscious of the height difference between them. He reached and tucked a lock of silvery black hair behind her ear. Shiro didn’t feel the need to say anything because their gestures said it all. Smiling, he returned the sweet kiss that Allura pressed against his lips when she stood on tip toe to reach his height.

“It’s going to be a long day.” She said to him. “Just thought you could use a kiss to start the morning.”

Shiro kissed her again, deep and loving, right there in the empty parking lot. They broke off with a chuckle and went to board the elevator that led straight to the 45th floor of the tower where Shiro’s office was. They discussed the schedule for the day, switching from the lovely couple to the efficient and professionally lethal duo that they were.

When the elevator dinged on the 45th floor, the two of them stepped out but then, Shiro halted when he saw a young woman with straight jet black hair. Her features were delicate like a porcelain doll with dark slanted eyes framed by straight raven bangs that brushed her brows.

When she saw them, she quickly got to her feet and bowed in respect.

“Master Takashi.” She said in flawless Japanese. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Yumi?”  Shiro froze and stared in wide eyed shocked while Allura just gaped, feeling utterly confused. When the young woman lifted her head and their eyes met, she offered Allura a small smile.

“Hello. You must be Ms. Allura Calhoun.” She extended her hand to her, smoothly transitioning her speech to English. “I am Fuyumi Asahina, aide Master Takashi’s mother, Madam Kimiko Shirogane. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.” Allura returned the greeting after she mustered a friendly smile. “I’m surprised at what you called Sh—I mean, my boss.”

Shiro on the other hand glanced at Allura and said. “It’s what I’m called back home in Japan.” The word _home_ sounded wrong when it was made to describe that empty, lonely mansion.

“Ah, I see.” Allura said in wonder. Now that she thought about it, she really didn’t know a lot about Shiro’s background besides him being a police officer in the past. However, with the appearance of this stranger in their office and calling Shiro ‘master’, Allura realized that Shiro wasn’t just a simple person who came from a wealthy family.

“I apologize for the sudden visit.” Fuyumi said. But before she was able to continue, Shiro interrupted her gently.

“She’s here, isn’t she?” His tone was not unkind, but the look in his eyes was dark and it made a chill run down Allura’s spine.

“Your mother is waiting for you inside.” Fuyumi nodded and gestured to the polished black double doors lined with gold carvings.

“Your mother is here?” Allura asked. She didn’t mind meeting Shiro’s mother but it made her gut churn with nervousness. In that moment, it was like the name Kimiko Shirogane had been carved into her memory.

“Seems like it.” Shiro blew out a breath and nodded at Fuyumi. “What is her business here?”

Allura was taken back by how cold Shiro’s tone was. He sounded as if he didn’t want to see his own mother and heck, Shiro didn’t even look happy at all that Kimiko was here to see him.

“She says that she’s visiting you.” Fuyumi replied.

“Thank you, Yumi.” Shiro offered her a kind smile and for a moment there, he relaxed. He then turned to Allura. “Ms. Calhoun,” It was just for show in front of others but his eyes held a secret emotion that only Allura understood well. “I’ll just take care of this so I’ll leave you and Ms. Asahina here for the meantime.”

“Yes, sir.”

The light in his eyes died down again and his features became stoic. Allura recognized this as Shiro’s business mask that he wore when dealing with professional matters. But what she didn’t understand was why would Shiro put on this side of him up when this woman was his own mother.

Giving Allura one final look, Shiro walked away and entered his office.

The doors felt heavier than usual when Shiro pushed them open but his heart felt heavier with dread and a turmoil that he did not welcome. When he entered his office, sure enough, she was there.

Kimiko donned her usual silk kimono. Today, she wore a stark black one pattered with blood red leaves that fell in autumn. Her black hair streaked with silvery strands that came with age was pulled up into a neat bun and it was held in place by several jeweled hairpins. Kimiko sat patiently on the guest sofa with her pale hands loosely folded on her lap while she watched the city on the celling-to-floor window.

When she heard the door open, she turned her head to look at the newcomer and when she saw that it was his son, she gracefully stood up to her full height.

“Ah, hello, Takashi.” She smiled but it did not reach her eyes. Shiro returned the smile but like her, it did not reach his eyes as well. He approached her and when he was close enough, he bowed in respect while still keeping a certain distance from his mother.

“Mother.” Shiro greeted back in Japanese. “What a pleasant surprise.”

_Oh, what a fucking lie._

“Pleasant indeed.” Kimiko looked around after Shiro lifted his head. With a simple yet elegant gesture of her hand, she said; “This place seems to be looking well. I’m impressed, Takashi.”

“Thank you, mother.” Shiro replied curtly. “I wouldn’t be able to manage it well without a competent staff.”

Kimiko studied her son who stood stiff as a board. Her features were just as blank as Shiro’s however she came here to take matters into her own hands and make sure that the future of Voltron will be in good hands. NOT fall into… uncivilized ones.

“How are you faring over here, Takashi?” Kimiko turned around walked to the other end of the room to study the shelf of books that were lined neatly against the wall.

“Quite well, mother.” Shiro replied as he too, walked towards his desk. But instead of sitting down, he leaned against the edge by the small of his back and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets while he watched his mother like a hawk. “It’s been busy.”

“And,” Kimiko continued but her tone held an edge of distaste. “How fares the boy?”

“Keith is not a boy anymore.” Shiro had to fight not to let any form of emotion show in his voice or else his cold, calculative mother would find a loophole into his armor and strike there. “He’s grown into a fine young man. I received an electronic copy of his quarterly grades this morning and I was informed that he joined the ranks of the top ten students in his class.”

“No longer probationary?” Kimiko briefly glanced at Shiro. Any other person would mistake that tone in her voice as something that’s similar to wonder but Shiro knew his mother. Kimiko never liked Keith and never approved of it when Shiro took him in just like how she did not approve of all of Shiro’s choices.

Except, of course, when Shiro chose to agree to become the next head of Voltron after Sven’s death.

“Well, that surely is pleasant news, Takashi.” Kimiko inclined her head slightly when he turned back her attention to the shelf. She scanned the porcelain vases and plaques that lined the other end of it.

“The boy---Ah… Keith, was it? It is only natural to expect that from him considering that we are spending a _fortune_ so that he can attend a prestigious academy such as Altea Prep.” She paused. “You have such a good heart to take the boy in, but you still understand that there is the matter concerning our legacy, yes?”

Shiro narrowed his eyes at Kimiko. “Did you seriously fly all the way from Japan just to tell me that?”

Now, it was Kimiko who turned to face Shiro. Her hands hung loosely on her sides and her dark eyes mirrored the same look Shiro had in his.

“I am merely concerned, Takashi.” Kimiko replied and Shiro left out a strained chuckle of disbelief.

“You could’ve just told me over skype, mother.” He said as he pushed off from his desk and started to pace back and forth while Kimiko watched him.

“I don’t think that’s going to have any effect.” She said and cocked her head to the side in question. “Tell me, how’s Valerie Smith doing?”

Shiro halted in his steps and his shoulders stiffened. He had to force himself to relax again but he knew that sooner or later, his mother would question as to why _her_ choices for him aren’t working out.

“I told you,” Shiro said with a dismissive tone of voice. “It’s just not making the cut. Ms. Smith a disastrous match.”

 “Takashi, you are aware that you’re not getting any younger, right?”

“So?”

“A Shirogane heir _must_ be produced.” Kimiko’s tone became hard. “You have to take a suitable bride at the soonest convenience.”

“And this…this _bride_ ,” Shiro forced out with spite. “Has to be someone _you_ chose?”

Kimiko fell silent and calculated her next move. Shiro shook his head and he completely had enough of this. He felt his breathing become heavier with the tension that snuffed all the fresh air in the room.

“I only want what’s best for you, Takashi.” She finally said and Shiro lifted his gaze to hold Kimiko’s.

“Mother,” he gritted out. “I already agreed to your choice to become CEO of this place. Isn’t that enough? Can’t I choose someone I want?”

Kimiko was about to coolly throw back a rebuttal but a knock came at the door.

Shiro ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath to appease the bubbling anger he felt. “Come in.” 

And just as he expected it, Allura stepped in with a tray of tea complete with an adorable teacup set. With just the sight of her, Shiro felt a mixture of warmth and protectiveness in him even though he knew that Allura can hold out on her own.

“Good morning.” Allura greeted with a bright smile. “I brought refreshments.”

“Thank you, Ms. Calhoun.” Shiro smiled at her and Allura spoke back with only a loving look in her eyes knowing well that they were in the office setting. Kimiko, however, caught the silent conversation no thanks to her keen observation and ruthless but silent judgement.

So, this was Allura? Well, she looked absolutely… plain. However, Kimiko’s eyes flashed dangerously when she saw the familiar necklace that hung around Allura’s neck. That heirloom may only be bestowed upon a woman favored to be proposed marriage to.

The certain fact that her son chose to give that symbolic necklace to a woman she did not choose from him did not please Kimiko. She watched silently as Shiro’s secretary walked to where the coffee table was and placed down the tray. Unlike the last blonde bimbo, this one didn’t actually trip and broke the expensive porcelain.

“You’re new.” Kimiko said and Allura looked up before she stood up straight and nodded with a small smile.

“Yes, I am.” She replied politely. “However, I’ve been working for Sh—Mr. Shirogane for a couple of months now. I’m Allura, ma’am.”

Kimiko quirked an eyebrow but her expression was distant. “Charmed.”

The air grew cold and Allura felt her skin crawl while the primitive part of her brain that was in charge with the task of survival told her to run. Shiro’s mom was not a friendly person and she looked at Allura with distaste in her eyes.

“I’ll take my leave now.” Allura said and wordlessly exited after giving Shiro a hidden look and a secret smile.

There was a long moment of silence that filled the room and the air became heavier by the minute. Neither Shiro nor Kimiko touched the tea as it remained on the coffee table but soon, Kimiko broke the silence.

“Is she wearing what I think she’s wearing, Takashi?” However, the calm words did not compensate with the venomous look in her eyes.

It took a while for Shiro to answer. “Yes. Why?”

The air around them turned colder and electric that there might as well be a snow storm in the office. Shiro prepared to defend himself for any backlash that might come from Kimiko but his mother remained calm, her face a complete unreadable mask.

“I see.” Shiro was surprised that it was all his mother said but a chill ran down his spine when she offered him a small, emotionless smile. “Well, this calls for a celebration, then. Let us set aside an evening to dine together.”

“What?” Shiro cannot believe what he was hearing.

“Can’t I personally meet this woman you’ve chosen?” Kimiko replied and turned towards the door in preparation to leave. “I’ll have Fuyumi inform you of the schedule.” She glanced at Shiro over her shoulder with a graceful turn of her head but her eyes remained sharp as broken glass. “Oh, and bring Keith along as well. It would be nice to catch up.”

Shiro watched as his mother took her leave while an uneasy foreboding chewed at him. 

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After 10 stamps and 26 chapters, we finally get Lance's secret menu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Wait, let me just...breathe. Holy shit. Okay. OKay... I'm chill...
> 
> I don't know what else to say so I'm just going to leave you this chapter to kick off the start of December. It's a short chapter but a very important one that is due. 
> 
> Thank you very much for all your love and support! I'm not sure if I'll be posting an update next week because it's December and y'know, Christmas parties and all so it's going to be busy. So, I hope you enjoy this :D

Chapter 27

**That afternoon…**

Lance twisted in his locker combination and pulled the door open. After he placed his chemistry book back along the books that were piled in one compartment, he checked the piece of paper taped on the inner side of the locker door for his shift schedule at the Coffee Nook that afternoon.

Then, his heart started to race when he thought about what he was going to do.

Finally, he mustered the goddamn courage for it. He had been thinking about it since last week and after a good talk with his emotional guru, Shay, Lance was able to come up with this little stunt. It was fucking cheesy but he just couldn’t hold it in anymore. He wanted this to be unforgettable and when Shay told him that Keith’s coffee card had reached the required amount of stamps for the secret menu, Lance was hit with an idea. This was going to be one of the biggest gambles of his life.

“Lance!” A new voice called from behind him. He saw a short freshman girl walking towards him. Her black hair was cut short to her shoulders and her bangs were held back by a silver headband. She looked like she hasn’t slept for days but she still grinned happily at him.

“Hey, Max!” Lance greeted back. He took his bag and his skateboard from his locker before he closed it and spun the lock’s knob. “What’s up?”

Max took a moment to rummage through her bag and pulled out a small cardboard box. She handed it to Lance with a big smile on her face. “Here you go.” She said. “Your special custom made mug. Thanks for buying from my online shop.”

“No, problem-o, Maxey.” Lance beamed happily while he checked the item. Max ran an online shop of customized items for extra cash that she rather earned than asked from her parents. “This is great! I’m sure Keith will like this.”

“Dude,” Max smirked. “After those specific instructions you gave me, I’m sure he will.”

Then she turned around and left Lance in his silent moment of embarrassment. Despite the fact that Lance’s face on fire, he put on his helmet and rushed out of the main building’s backdoor to avoid the parking lot. He’s got the whole squad and even the whole cafe into his little plan, except Keith of course. Lance darted behind some bushes when his phone vibrated with a message;

 

**From ‘lil Shay (Mon, 4:09 PM):**

**‘We’re in the car. Hunkybear will take the heavy traffic routes. Keith doesn’t suspect a thing. Hurry.’**

 

Lance ran to the back gate of the school and after waving apologetically to the guard who called after him not to run, he flipped out his skateboard and shredded down the street. If he was going to beat the others to the café, he’s going to need to take a shortcut.

“Lance, your apron is inside out.” Cindy, the Coffee Nook’s manager, pointed. You’re going to attract weird stares and,” she paused with a knowing smile. “You’re not going to look any good later.”

Lance blew out a breath and quickly fixed his apron. “Cindy, thank you so much for letting me do this.” He smiled nervously. “Like, really, this means a lot.”

“Mhhmm.” Cindy nodded and her blonde bun bobbed on top of her manager’s visor. “You have fifteen minutes. It’s still business hours.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Cindy turned her head when she heard the tinkle of the bell on the door that signaled the arrival of customers and sure enough, Lance’s friends walked in.

“There’s your que, sweetie.” She patted Lance’s shoulder and stepped into the backroom. “Good luck.”

~

“Well, would you look at that?” Evie grinned and spun the sharpie around his fingers after he pushed off the counter. “It’s the Altean kids.”

“Hey, Evie,” Hunk greeted. “How’s the new baby?”

“Beautiful and she smells like coconuts.” Evie beamed proudly. “She’s got her mom’s eyes.”

“Awwww~” Shay cooed. “I bet she’s adorable.”

“Yup, she is.” Evie replied. “At least she’s letting us sleep at night now.”

“What’s sleep and where can I buy it?” Keith muttered and Pidge nodded eagerly while they pushed up their glasses.

“Who needs sleep when you can work on your conspiracy theory blog? Right, Keith?”

Keith hummed in agreement.

“Alright, kiddos, enough aliens for now.” Evie was aware of what was going to happen and he glanced at Keith who was looking absently at the menu. He had to pull this one right so Lance would owe him. “What’s it going to be today?”

“One chocolate chip mocha frappe, please!” Shay sang out excitedly.

“Decaf?” Evie asked and on the corner of his eyes, he saw Hunk nod at him in silent please but Shay shook her head.

“Decaf is for the weak.” She said. “With two expresso shots, please.”

Hunk groaned.

“I’ll have my usual peanut butter and rocky road cream, please.” Pidge said.

“A summer fruit tea for me.” Hunk followed.

“The usual.” Keith took out his wallet from his pocket to slide a bill across the counter when Pidge interrupted.

“Hey, Keith.” They said. They had to be very careful to mask the excitement in their voice and not sound too eager or pushy. “Were you able to fill out your card?”

“Huh?” Keith remembered about it and took out the card. “Oh yeah, I did.” He looked up to Evie and asked; “So, I can get that special drink?”

“Yup, totally.” The barista said while he punched in the first few orders in the register. “Mine didn’t get in this year, but the custom drink choices are Kyle’s, Dez’s, and Lance’s.”

“Do I even have to tell you?” Keith asked slyly and Evie smiled before he took Keith’s card and punched a hole in it.

“Lance’s secret menu is cute.” Evie said. “Simple but cute. Like, hella cute. Even I didn’t think of that when I was trying to woo my girlfriend. He’s pretty creative.”

“What?” Keith’s brows scrunched up in confusion and Evie wanted to slap his forehead for saying too much. He was just excited about it but he can’t let that show right now or else it’ll ruin the surprise.

“It’s nothing.” Evie turned to look over his shoulder  and called out to the other end of the long bar counter. “Hey, Lance! You got your first secret menu customer!”

“R-Really?!” On the other end, Lance appeared from the backroom door. His eyes brightened behind his glasses when he saw Keith but his heart was racing so loudly that he could hear every beat in his ears. “Should I name it Mullet?”

“’Bae’, nerd.” Keith grinned and Lance returned it with equal enthusiasm.

“I’ll bring your drinks to you.” Evie said after Lance disappeared out back to get the ingredients. “However, Keith’s would take a little bit more time and it’s a special rule that secret menu drinks are made in front of the customer.”

Lance wanted to die. He literally was on the brink of chickening out and he wished for furry aliens to suck him up with their extraction ray. His face was hot and his fingers were shaking while he fought to focus on his task. Since it was still early, the cafe only had three other people besides his friends who were chilling on their usual veranda table outside. He wanted to look up every time he heard their muffled laughter but he knew that he’d mess this up once he caught a glimpse of Keith’s smiling face.

Let’s admit it, Keith’s smile is so fucking beautiful and it had the ability to turn Lance into mashed potatoes.

Lance let the chocolate whirl in the blending until it was frothy and he poured it in a temperature controlled pitcher. He placed it on a tray along with the mug he got from Max, and a bowl of crushed oreos, wafers, and marshmallows.

“There’s no turning back now, Lance.” He said to himself and walked out to the veranda. He had to take careful steps because his nerves were jumpy and his hands were slippery with cold sweat with how nervous he was. He hesitated once, walked, the hesitated again.

“Lance.” Evie called out from behind and the barista looked over his shoulder at the other behind the counter.

“Yeah?”

“Here’s some unsolicited advice.” Evie said. “Relax. Breathe. Don’ panic.”

“Got it.” Lance nodded. “Thanks, man!”

The moment Lance stepped outside, four sets of eyes all stopped to look at him and the table fell quiet.

“Hi, guys!” Lance greeted nervously. “Evie told you the secret menu rule?”

“Yeah, he did!” Shay replied softly before she stood up. “I just remembered, I need to buy something from the bookstore across the street. It won’t take long.”

“I’ll go with Shay.” Hunk nodded and stood up as well.

“Uh,” Pidge’s eyes darted between Keith and Lance before they stood up from their seat as well. “Yeah, Matt wanted me to go buy him some, uh, tooth paste.” They awkwardly motioned at the seven eleven not far from the café. “Be right back!”

When they all left, Keith was the only one who remained and he looked utterly confused at what just happened. “That was weird.”

“Yeah, we’re a weird bunch.” Lance agreed and set the tray on the table. He had to get this done before the clock hit the four thirty mark and patrons start pouring in. “Here we go. Be prepared to be amazed!”

God, Lance already felt like this was spiraling into the ground. He suddenly felt conscious of every word he said and every movement he made.

“Well, okay, I’m watching.” Keith leaned back against his chair and placed down his phone on the table. He watched Lance who sat down beside him along with the tray. When Lance popped off the lid of the temp pitcher, the smell of chocolate wafted in the air. “Is that hot chocolate?”

“Yeah, it is.” Lance’s eyes softened. “It’s mom’s recipe and my grandma taught it to her when she was my age. I just upgraded my own version.”

“Is that why you brag that it’s made with love?” Keith asked while he thought back to the first car ride the two of them shared when Shiro dropped them off to school.

“I make all my drinks with love, Keith.” Lance laughed and he pushed his glasses up his nose while he focused on the thing in front of him. He had to work fast because the mug was one of those temperature sensitive ones.

“But this one is special.”

“How?”

“Just watch.”

Lance’s hands moved quickly and efficiently. He began by pouring the hot chocolate into the black mug until it reached near the rim. After that, he added a dash of cinnamon and then sprayed out the whip cream on top. Lance added the finishing touches by putting in the powdered oreo cookie on top, a mint leaf, and a wafer stick then he swirled some caramel syrup on the cream.

“Taddaaa!” Lance presented it proudly and carefully moved the mug towards Keith. “I call it, A Sweet Confession!”

“Why did you name it---“ Keith was about to ask but Lance cut him off.

“Look.”

This was it and Lance could either run for his life or sit there through everything, hoping that his plan didn’t turn into crap.

Keith did as he was asked and watched the pretty hot chocolate in front of him. His eyes widened when the surface of the black mug grew lighter and lighter until the whole porcelain turned white. There on the front, was an adorable hand drawn kitten with big blue eyes that sat snugly in a cardboard box. And on the box were four words scribbled in cursive;

 

**_‘I love you, Keith.’_ **

 

Lance knew that there was no taking these words back but he meant each one. However, when Keith just stared at the mug with an unreadable expression, Lance started to panic. Maybe he spoke too soon? Maybe he was assuming things too fast? Maybe he fucked up big time?

“Uhm…” Lance gulped. “I, I… Did I come on too strong?”

Silence.

Oh no, this was bad. This was really bad. Was this a mistake?

“Well, I,” Lance cleared his throat and his heart felt heavy with rejection. “I…I need to get back to work.”

He stood up from his chair and started to gather the things he had brought out except for the artisan hot chocolate he made for Keith. Lance felt like an idiot who couldn’t even get the timing right and now he felt humiliation, disappointment, and pretty much everything that was going to ruin the next ten thousand years of his life.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going, nerd?” Keith suddenly asked and Lance paused at his task although he couldn’t look Keith straight in the eye.

“Cindy only gave me fifteen minutes.” He replied. “I…I need to go, customers will start pouring in soon.”

Lance kept his gaze down but his hands trembled from the things he felt. He felt tears sting his eyes and his mouth tasted bitter. He rushed with his task; the sooner he got out of there, the better. He didn’t think he could ever face Keith again after this fuck up.

“When you told Shiro back then that you made all your drinks with love,” Keith interrupted softly. “I thought it was lame.”

Lance frowned. “Well, sorry.” He muttered and blinked back the tears that sheened his eyes. “Look, I really need to go. Cindy’s---“

“Fuck what Cindy thinks,” Keith said. “This is our moment.”

“What?”

In response, Keith got up and reached out to gently cup Lance’s face with one hand and he leaned in. He kissed him deeply and after a moment of stiff surprise, Lance kissed him back with equal emotion in his blue eyes.

In the bookshop on the other side of the street, Shay was squealing in happiness while she bit her lip. She leaned into Hunk’s warm embrace when he draped an arm around her shoulders. He looked immensely proud of his best friend for being a courageous, cheesy little shit. On the seven eleven next to the bookshop, Pidge was escorted out for screeching in excitement. The Coffee Nook staff looked pleased as well with Cindy nodding in approval and Evie wiping away manly tears.

“I thought…” Keith whispered after they broke apart for air. “I would never hear those words again.”

“Not while I’m around.” Lance smiled gently, love clear in his eyes. “I’ll remind you every day.”

Color bloomed on their cheeks and love burst in their hearts. Keith was so happy that he felt like he wanted to burst into tears. He had honestly given up on that the moment he buried his parents. He felt no attachment towards anyone he dated in the past.

But Lance came along and changed all of that; he changed what Keith thought to be unchangeable. Lance changed him.

“Lance?” Keith muttered before he gave in the urge to kiss his lovely boyfriend again.

“Hm?” Lance couldn’t help the soft giggle that escaped from him but despite that, he melted against the kiss.

“Let me stay tonight.”

 

~

 

Their love making that night after their little celebration dinner was deep, slow, and loving. After Allura had gone to bed and the two of them finished ‘pretending’ to finish their schoolwork, they stumbled into Lance’s room and the rest of the night was history.

The sounds they made were hushed but each kiss, thrust, and caress showed the same love that mirrored in their eyes.

Finally, after they reached the bliss of their dance, Lance and Keith floated down from the high that they felt while they trembled in each other’s arms, clearly spent. They were inseparable now that they have found something deeper.

As Lance cuddled Keith while his head rested on the other’s chest, Keith lowered his head to look at Lance.

“Hey, Lance?” he asked softly in the lamp lit darkness of the room.

“Yeah?” Lance tilted his head up to look into Keith’s violet eyes and he nuzzled the other’s neck.

Keith leaned down to press an achingly tender kiss on Lance’s lips;

“I love you too.”

And in that precious moment, everything in the world was perfect. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will never look at hot chocolate the same way again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID YOU MISS ME? Because I missed you guys! Life's been hectic at work because the year is ending but I'm back with your awaited update! I jacked up the rating and I'll be putting warnings in some chapters now. Man, remember when this fic was fluffy? I remember it like it was two weeks ago. 
> 
> SO without further ado, here is chapter 28 :)
> 
>  **Trigger warnings:**  
>  -Implied homophobia  
> -Mentions of suicide  
> -Intimidation

Chapter 28

“So why isn’t Lance in this thing again?” Keith frowned. He roughly combed back his black hair with his wax laced fingers to make it look neater. His formal clothes didn’t look all too flashy because Keith didn’t even like to wear that stuffy thing. But tonight, he donned his maroon button up dress shirt, black satin tie and that cursed tailored jacket he hated with a burning passion.

“Because she doesn’t know about him, most likely.” Shiro replied. He smoothed out his own tailored suit jacket that was paired with a deep plum button up shirt. He clipped on a silver designer watch on his wrist and put on his cufflinks.

They were finishing getting dressed in the living room for the dinner Kimiko had arranged for them that evening. Fuyumi sent the invitation that morning and Keith wasn’t all too happy about it when he came home for a fresh change of uniform before school because he spent the night at Lance’s place.

“Well, isn’t that suspicious?” Keith muttered while he watched his reflection with a deadpanned expression. Keith took a moment and turned around to face the other man. He had a distant, cold look in his violet eyes paired by his trademark scowl.

“Shiro,” Keith sighed. “Your mom knew about me even before she came over for Sven’s funeral. She’s obviously a perfectionist when it comes to accurate intel.”

Keith knew that Shiro was aware that he didn’t like his mom. Mostly because she strongly suggested that Keith be thrown into the foster system because he wasn’t worth Shiro’s time or the financial expense. It was a good thing that unlike his older brother, Shiro wasn’t brainwashed to do his mother’s wishes like an obedient puppy. When Shiro agreed to become CEO, he still challenged Kimiko’s decisions for the company and he knew how to think for himself.

“I know that.” Shiro replied. “I’m not sure if she knows about Lance or not but we have to keep our guard up and our behaviors at their best.”

Keith huffed in irritation and crossed his arms.

“And that means no rude language, Keith.”

“Fuck.”

“Keith!”

“Okay, okay!” Keith raised his hands up in surrender. “I’ll try to behave. Keyword: _try._ ”

“She’s just going to be here for a week, Keith.” Shiro grabbed the Audi’s keys from the crystal ashtray by the shelf. “After that we can carry on with our lives.”

“Your mom can burn down the city in three days, Shiro.”

Shiro paused and thought about what Keith just said and truth be told, he couldn’t help but agree. “Yeah, that’s true.”

Keith smirked in triumph but he still wasn’t all too happy that he had to sit through a whole dinner with the woman who tried to feed him into the cruel system when he was nine. From the corner of his eye, he watched Shiro carefully while he fixed his tie for the nth time. Keith could tell that Shiro was all nerves right now solely because Kimiko wanted to meet his girlfriend.

He may be cold and distant, but Keith wasn’t stupid. He’s seen _the_ necklace around Allura’s neck during their little celebratory dinner the night before. He’s seen that thing before when he was a kid and he knew what it symbolized because Shiro told him when Keith asked.

“Soooo…” Keith stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels once. “I saw that you gave Allura the fancy necklace.”

Shiro paused amidst his task of checking his phone for emails and he lifted his dark gaze to lock with Keith’s. When he didn’t say anything, Keith spoke again;

“I’m actually really happy for you, man.” He said. “I know that it’s not good for my image, but I think you should talk to Lance about it first when you’re ready.”

“You don’t think Lance would like the surprise of it all?” Shiro asked with a small smile.

Keith shifted his weight to the other leg when he leaned against the wall casually with his arms loosely crossed over his chest.

“Among other things.” The corner of Keith’s mouth twitched in smile that was barely visible if one didn’t know how to read Keith. “But I think it’s only proper to talk to Lance first that you intend to marry his mom.”

Shiro averted his gaze bashfully and Keith burst out into laughter at how flustered Shiro became. “Allura doesn’t know the significance of that necklace yet.”

“Are you going to tell her?”

“She thinks it’s a gift.” Shiro replied. A small smile lifted on his face at the memory of their little scene at The Aurora club. “She was actually upset that I got her an expensive gift but the thing is, I didn’t spend a dime on that thing. I’ll tell her soon enough.”

“That necklace is older than the queen of England, Shiro.”

“Yes, it is.” Shiro laughed softly but Keith noticed that those dark eyes of his looked worried. His fingers twitched and Shiro reached up to straighten his already pristine tie.

“Shiro.” Keith said, his tone flat with seriousness. Shiro looked up in silent response and Keith offered him a small, kind smile.

“I don’t know what the hell your mom is plotting,” he said. “But I got your back, bro.”

“Thanks, Keith.”

~

Allura stared at her reflection and couldn’t believe what she saw.

“Viola!!” Lance beamed after he put in a final delicate jewel pin in one of the creases of her braid that was fashioned around her head like a crown. “A crown fit for a queen.”

“Wow, Lance.” Allura lowered the hand mirror her son handed to her. “This is amazing!”

“Don’t second guess my skills, mother dear.” Lance grinned and coolly twirled an elastic tie around his finger. “Shay practically begs me to do her hair during lunch.”

Allura smiled and placed down the mirror on the table. “You’re so talented, Lance.”

She put on her four inch heels before she stood up and smoothed out the surface of her dress. She wore a simple black dress adorned by a band silver sequins and Swarovski stones. The pencil skirt hugged her shapely hips and the slit that run up from the middle of her thigh to the floor showed some skin.

“You look like a star, mom.” Lance smiled and Allura felt a blush on her cheeks. “Like a literal piece of space fell here on earth.” He motioned at the amethyst necklace that hung around Allura’s neck. “That’s a nice touch too.”

“Okay, now you’re just pushing it, baby.” Allura laughed softly. She leaned in to place a soft kiss on Lance’s cheeks and she cupped his face gently too look lovingly into his eyes. “I’m sorry that I’d have to leave you behind for the night.” Allura’s eyes saddened. “Even Keith’s coming along.”

“It’s fine, mom.” Lance replied. “I understand. Shiro’s mom knows about Keith since he’s been living with Shiro since he was a kid and you’re Shiro’s girlfriend so Mrs. Shirogane knows about you too.”

Allura shivered at the name. “Shiro’s mother doesn’t appear to be the friendly type but I can’t really judge without meeting her personally.” She caressed Lance’s cheekbone with her thumb. “But don’t you worry, dear. I’m going to tell her about you and how intelligent and handsome you are.” Allura reached up and ruffled the tuff of Lance’s hair. “You’re my cute little boy, yes you are~”

“Aw, mom, quit embarrassing me!”

“It’s just the two of us here.” Allura smiled. “And as long as you’re my baby, I can embarrass you anytime I want. It’s a mom privilege.” A mischievous twinkle sparked in her blue lilac eyes and her expression became teasing. “I’m going to wail like a banshee on your wedding with Keith.”

“MOM!” Lance stumbled back and his face became completely red.

“And the grandk—“

Lance screeched and covered his ears. “OHH BABY I’M WALKING FROM SIDE TO SIIIIIIDE!!!! I’M NOT LISTENING, MOM!”

Allura’s laughter was interrupted by the doorbell and both mother and son looked at each other. “Alright, go get the door, Ariana Grande.”

Lance nodded. “You stay here and finish up.”

“Thanks, Lanceypants.”

Lance rushed out of their apartment and took hopping steps towards the building’s common front door. When the doorbell rang again, he called out; “Hold your jets, I’m right here!”

When Lance opened the door, he was greeted by a bouquet of tulips and two lavishly dressed men. He stood rooted on the spot with a blank look on his face.

“Hi, Lance.” Shiro smiled in greeting. His suit looked like a second skin on him and his dark hair was smoothed back to fully reveal his face. Lance was sure the way Shiro looked tonight would leave his mom in shambles but he was confident that Shiro would also be left speechless at how beautiful Allura looked.

However, it wasn’t Shiro that held Lance’s attention.

It was his moody boyfriend who coolly leaned against metal railing for the front porch stairs. His suit was less elegant than Shiro’s but Keith had a rough bad boy charm in him that made Lance weak on the knees.

“Hey.” Keith’s smile was slow and sly and Lance made a choked sound. He suddenly felt conscious of his droopy school uniform.

“Uh…” Lance blinked and pushed up his glasses that were beginning to fall from the bridge of his nose. “Mom… inside... hair done.”

Shiro glanced at Keith who looked smug at the victory of making Lance’s brain turn mushier than mashed potatoes. “I guess I’ll let myself inside then.”

“Y-yeah, cool.” Lance stepped aside with his eyes lowered to the floor. “She’s getting ready. I did her hair.”

“I bet she looks even more beautiful with your handiwork.” Shiro said and Lance reached back to scratch the spot behind his head bashfully. “Thank you, Lance.”

“Sure, it’s no problem at all.” Lance grinned while he threw side glances at a dashing Keith who waited impatiently for Shiro to leave so he can be alone with Lance. When he was gone, Keith approached Lance and pressed a slow, burning kiss on the other’s lips.

“Keith---“ Lance gasped within. “Hey, slow down, handsome.”

“Let me take what I can get, baby.” Keith whispered. “I’m going to need all the strength to keep my shit together tonight and not shove Kimiko’s face in a bowl of pasta.”

Lance melted into the kiss as it deepened and the next thing he knew, his back hit the wall when Keith cornered him to it. He slightly pushed Keith back and broke the kiss for air.

“Is… Is Shiro’s mom that bad?” Lance asked and his brows furrowed in confusion.

“’Bad’ is an understatement.” Keith sighed and leaned into Lance’s touch when his boyfriend reached up to cup his face. 

“Oh.” Lance frowned. “So, she’s one of those satan moms?”

Keith paused and watched Lance before a small smile lifted on his lips. “Satan mom. I like that description.”

“Okay, I’m worried about mom now.”

“And I’m worried about Shiro.” Keith sighed. Kimiko didn’t want him around when Shiro took him in and now, she was going to find a way to get Allura out of the way too because she didn’t approve of Shiro’s choices.

“At least she’s just going to be here for the week. We just have survive that.” Keith caressed his knuckles against the darkly tanned skin of Lance’s cheek and his eyes became tender when Lance smiled at him.

“Besides, the quarterly holiday break is coming up very soon.” Keith added. “It’s not like we have anything else to worry about, right?”

Lance’s smile slowly disappeared.

~

Shiro smoothed back his hair and fixed the ribbon on the bouquet of flowers he brought for Allura. Truth be told, he missed her since she left work early to prepare for the dinner with Kimiko.

“Alright, Takashi.” Shiro muttered to himself. “You can do this; seven days and mom leaves. We just have to make it through the week…. Just the week.” He repeated that mantra twice before he was finally able to convince himself and then, he raised his fist to knock.

When the door opened, Shiro’s whole body went slack and time stood still when Allura revealed herself on the doorway. She looked like a queen with the way her hair was braided around her head like a crown held together with tiny jeweled pins. And her dress looked like the night sky decided to descend and wrap itself around Allura.

“Whoah.” Shiro breathed and Allura smiled brightly at him.

“Too much?” she asked after she did a little twirl.

“N-No!” Shiro protested, his face red. “You look so beautiful. You’re perfect.”

Allura bit her lower lip and suppressed a soft laugh that threatened to push Shiro into unraveling into a tangled mess. He offered the bouquet of flowers to her.

“These are for you.”

“White tulips.” Allura took the flowers. “How ever did you know?” She had a knowing smile on her face as she remembered the first time Shiro gave her the same flower as thanks for keeping him warm with her shawl.

“Lucky guess.” Shiro shrugged and Allura craned her neck up to plant a loving kiss on his lips which he happily returned.

“Let me just get my purse.” Allura said as she placed the flowers on a coffee table. “Where’s Keith?”

“He’s with Lance.” Shiro replied. “Probably sulking that he had to come along while Lance is left behind.”

Allura paused and stared at her simple black purse as if she expected it to grow wings and fly away. “I understand, you know. Your mother doesn’t know about Lance.”

“I believe so.”

“Shiro?” Allura stood up straight and Shiro frowned when he noticed Allura’s shoulder slump. “I think… your mom doesn’t like me.

Shiro’s gaze lowered and bitter chuckle left him. “Believe me, love, she doesn’t like me either.”

“What?” Allura’s eyes widened. “But why? You’re her son.”

“She’s…” he sighed. How was he supposed to tell her? What if Kimiko scares her away? Shiro thought for a moment then shook his head. He promised Allura that he wouldn’t let anything in this world come between them and he intended to keep that promise.

“She’s a complicated person, Allura. One who liked to keep everything and everyone under her control so I’m giving you a warning.”

“I can handle myself.” Allura nodded once and habitually straightened Shiro’s tie. “It’s not the first time I came across a complicated parent.” Her eyes turned sad for a brief moment and Shiro knew that Allura thought about her parents who shunned her, especially her dad.

“Let’s not ruin the evening this early.” Shiro said and he reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Allura’s ear. “We just have to get through this dinner and the duration of her stay for the week then we can breathe easily.”

Allura nodded and steeled herself in preparation for a battle of wits.

It’s just seven days. What can go wrong in seven days?

Apparently, everything.

~

Shiro pulled over into a parking spot of a lavish Japanese restaurant called The Eastern Blossom. The parking lot was filled with other luxury cars and formally dressed patrons sauntered into the entrance.

“So, are you guys ready?” Shiro asked.

“Fuck, no.” Keith muttered from the backseat. “I want to go home to Lance.”

“That’s actually really sweet, Keith.” Allura said with a smile. “But you’ve been specifically invited to come along.”

“Mother wants to see you.” Shiro added and Keith’s mood darkened even more.

“Why?” the raven haired teen asked. “She’ll only get disappointed that my life hasn’t gone into the shit pile like she hoped.”

“Keith.” Shiro’s tone became hard and Keith snapped his mouth shut while Allura looked concerned.

“Sorry.” Keith muttered and Shiro sighed.

“Let’s get this over with.” He said as he turned off the engine. “The sooner, the better.”

Keith saw Shiro reach to the seat beside his and took Allura’s hand into his before he gave it a gentle, comforting squeeze. And in that moment, he felt envious and wished that Lance was here for him to hold on to as well.

~

The three of them got out of the car and walked inside. When they reached the door, Allura spotted Kimiko’s aide, Fuyumi, and the young woman approached them. She gave a bow in greeting and Allura couldn’t help but admire the kimono she wore. The silk was white and adorned with delicate cherry blossom patterns that were sewn on by hand.

“Master Takashi, Ms. Allura.” She offered a kind smile. “Welcome. The madam is waiting for you inside.”

“Thank you, Yumi.” Shiro nodded and returned the smile. “I hope we didn’t keep her waiting long.”

“Not at all, master.” The young woman replied. Allura watched Fuyumi turn to Keith and bowed slightly once again.

“And you must be Keith Kogane.” She said and offered a hand to which Keith shook politely. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Uh, yeah,” Keith shrugged but his tone was awkward. “I’m not surprised you have.”

“Fuyumi, your kimono is beautiful.” Allura said and the aide stilled on the spot she stood. “It looks wonderful on you.”

“M-Ms. Allura… I…” Fuyumi suddenly paled but then pink tinted her cheeks. She bowed once more, her tone sincere. “Thank you for the kind words, miss.”

“I’m just telling the truth.” Allura shook her head but she got a little bit worried when she noticed that Fuyumi’s lower lip was trembling. “Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes!” Fuyumi replied eagerly. “I was just surprised. Kind and sincere words are rare in my line of work. So, thank you, miss Allura.”

Allura glanced at Shiro then at Keith. Kindness was rare? Allura had a bad feeling about this already.

*

They followed Fuyumi through the beautiful hallways adorned by east Asian decorations. Allura was grateful for the silent support from Shiro when he took her hand in his and in return, she gave a gentle squeeze to assure him that they were going to face this together.

Kimiko’s aide stopped in front of double sliding screen doors and with a gentle gesture, parted them in the middle to let the guests in. Sure enough, Kimiko was already seated in table that was set with fine china porcelain.

Allura quickly felt a chill run down her spine when her eyes locked with Kimiko’s. But even if it was difficult with the internal panic she felt, she was able to manage to pull herself together. She felt Shiro’s arms wrap around her waist and he pulled her to his side protectively while Keith stood close to her other side. It wasn’t very hard to read and Allura was actually surprised that both Shiro and Keith were looking out for her. She was not in the position to judge, but with the way Shiro and Keith were acting told Allura that Kimiko really wasn’t someone to be messed with. Even if she was grateful for the support, she can very much handle herself.

“Ah, Welcome. I’m very glad that you made it.” Kimiko inclined her head and Shiro bowed slightly in respectful greeting while Keith reluctantly mirrored the same action. Allura took her the signal and did the same as she dipped her head briefly.

“Thank you for inviting us, mother.” Shiro said, then he slightly elbowed Keith when he didn’t say anything.

“Uh, yeah.” Keith forced out after he cleared his throat. “Thanks.”

“Yes, thank you, ma’am.” Allura followed politely. “It’s quite a pleasure to be here.”

Kimiko watched the newcomers in front her before she stood up and gestured at the empty seats in the round table. “Please, sit. The traffic in this city is horrible and I understand that you must be famished especially that you rushed from work and school to grace this dinner with your presence.”

Allura was actually impressed at how gracious Shiro’s mother was as a host. She followed when Shiro led her to a seat and pulled it out for her. She looked up at him and he smiled when she mouthed a quick thank you to him while Keith took a seat on the seat on her left.

A server entered the room and handed menu cards to them. Allura scanned the elaborate dishes but she immediately felt the blood drain from her face when she saw the price of each one. A plate of salmon sashimi cost more than her electricity bill and rent combined and she could easily make that dish at home if she sacrificed Lance’s weekly allowance for some fresh salmon. She discreetly glanced at Shiro then at Keith but saw that the two did not look even slightly bothered by the golden prices on the menu.

“Ms. Calhoun,” Allura’s attention immediately snapped up when Kimiko spoke. “Supper is on me. Please don’t hesitate to order what you please.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Allura smiled as she pretended to glance at the menu but her mind was screaming at her not to impose and appear like a leech by choosing the most expensive thing on the menu.

After they ordered, the server left and Fuyumi closed the door behind her to stand by it with her head slightly inclined down and her gaze timidly settled on the floor.

“So,” Kimiko tucked a single strand of black hair that went astray from her pristine bun. Her movements were so graceful that Allura felt self conscious that she would topple over a goblet of water if she dared do the same. “Keith, it’s nice to see you again. How are you?”

“Oh, y’know,” Keith replied almost sourly but he put on a small bitter smile that appeared forced. His enigmatic eyes daringly held Kimiko’s sharp gaze with a look of dislike in them. “Alive and great.”

Kimiko arched an eyebrow but otherwise kept her tone masked. “I heard from Takashi that you made it into the top ten of your class.”

“Yeah, I did.” Keith replied and his tone held an edge of slight gloating. “Allura’s an amazing tutor and my friends are great people so I’m in good company. I’m sure I won’t turn into a ‘hopeless case’ like some people say I would.”

Allura would bet her whole pay check that Keith just said all of that with an edge of sharpness aimed at Kimiko. Shiro on the other hand, was silent beside her but he has a subtle smug look on his face. Fuck, were Shiro and Keith ganging up on Kimiko?

“Is this true, Ms. Calhoun?” Kimiko turned to her and Allura felt like something in her wanted to tuck tail and run when Shiro’s mother smiled at her.

“Yes, I tutored Keith.” Allura nodded eagerly. “And please, just Allura would do, ma’am.”

“Allura.” Kimiko tested the name on her tongue but with a look of disinterest.

“At first,” Shiro spoke this time. “I thought Keith would make her quit like he did with his other tutors. But Allura’s very patient with him and I’m amazed by her passion in teaching.”

Allura felt her cheeks burn and she turned to smile lovingly at Shiro who looked at her with tenderness in his eyes. Underneath the table, he took her hand into his grasp again and laced their fingers together.

Kimiko nodded. “Teaching is a calling not heeded by many. Allura, did you take this course up during your tertiary studies?”

Oh no. How was Allura going to say that she was a college drop out?

“Yes, I did.” Allura replied but it was a challenge to keep up the smiling mask she wore.

“That’s good to know.” Kimiko nodded but then she tilted her head to the side. “So why did you end up working as my son’s secretary instead of educating young minds?”

Beside her, Allura felt Shiro stiffen and his grip on her hand went slack underneath he table while a look of suspicious irritation crossed Keith’s face that he had to take a goblet of water and calm himself down with a couple of gulps.

“I fired my former secretary due to her incompetence.” Shiro replied this time. “Allura came to the office to hand over Keith’s progress report and chanced upon a very inconvenient time for me. She lent a hand and I was amazed by her efficient organizational skills.” He then turned to Allura and smiled. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

“O-Oh,” Allura’s eyes widened and she swore that on the corner of her eye, she saw Kimiko scowl deeply. “Yes. I guess it kind of went from there.”

“Lovely.” Her words did not reflect the look on Kimiko’s face despite the eerie smile she wore. “However, why not a teacher?”

Allura was starting to see a pattern on the questions thrown at her. They were all aimed at the personal dirt of her personal life. She took a deep breath to compose herself because there was no running from the truth.

“I wasn’t able to continue college because I had my son.” Allura replied with her head held high. She will never be ashamed that she had Lance even at such a young age because her son was such a wonderful gift and probably the best one she had ever received in the course of her life.

There was an awkward silent that fell on the room but Kimiko broke it; “Well, you should have told me beforehand so I could extend the invitation to him. Tell me, what is he like?”

“His name is Lance and he’s a scholar in Altea Prep.” Allura said and felt her chest swell with motherly pride. “He’s kind and very caring towards the people he cares about. He has an after-school job at a café and he helps me rear our home out of his own volition.”

“Lance is classmates with Keith.” Shiro said and Allura was grateful for that. “He’s a wonderful young man and he’s very hard working with a clear goal for the future.”

“Lance is my boyfriend.” Keith suddenly added and Allura felt like she was going to have a heart attack. “He made sure I didn’t get in any more trouble with the wrong crowd.”

  
“O-Oh, dear me…” Kimiko’s eyes widened and her hand unconsciously went to press against her chest in surprise. “How... interesting. I never expected such a thing from you, Keith.”

“Yeah?” Keith leaned back coolly. “And how is that interesting, Kim?”

“For one, it’s not natural.”

“What the fu---“

“Mother.” Shiro’s voice tore through the tension. Keith gritted his teeth but settled back when Shiro shook his to signal him that he had this under control. “Why exactly did you call us here?”

Allura could tell that the night had turned into shit and dinner hasn’t even been served yet.

“I only wanted to meet this lovely woman whom my son had laid his claim upon.” Kimiko feigned a tone of innocence which grated against Allura’s nerves. “She’s wearing one of the clan’s prized heirlooms and it’s that particular necklace too. Such a deep symbolism deserves my attention. Don’t you think so, my son?”

“It’s an _heirloom_?” Allura gaped in disbelief at Shiro and she felt her heart explode when he nodded.

“See?” Shiro said with a small smile. “I told you that I didn’t spend a dime on it.”

“But a piece that holds so much significance.” Kimiko added with a displeased look. “It is only bestowed upon a woman who is highly favored.” She looked at questioningly at Allura. “Mostly, a woman of high aristocratic breeding according to our clan’s history. I was wonder where it went.”

Allura’s polite mask shattered and she glared at Kimiko.

 “Grandmother gave it to me.” Shiro said and his eyes turned dark as they locked with his mother’s. “She gave it for me before I left for the US.”

“Ah, that’s odd.” Kimiko brushed off the subject but there was an obvious look of disapproval on her face. “I was hoping your older brother would inherit it instead of _you_ , Takashi.” She shook her head. “It is his right as the eldest son after all.”

Before Shiro said anything unpleasant, Fuyumi interrupted them and the double screen doors slid open.

“Dinner is served.” The young woman announced timidly. Everyone remained silent while the food was placed in front of them. Fuyumi then approached Kimiko with a tray of tea and carefully handed her a ceramic cup.

Kimiko took a sip but then immediately pulled the cup away from her lips.

“What is this?!” Kimiko demanded in Japanese and the young woman quickly paled while Shiro and Keith who understood, frowned at the sight.

“Jasmine tea, madam.” Fuyumi replied.

“Foolish girl!” Kimiko snapped.  “I specifically asked for green!”

“I’m sorry, ma-madam.” The aide quickly fumbled with trembling fingers and took the cup back but Kimiko handed it back with so much haste that the hot liquid splattered on Fuyumi’s hand and she yelped in pain.

Allura watched the event unfold before her with anger bubbling in her veins. How could Kimiko treat that poor girl like that? She’s been in that position and she knew very well what it felt like to be treated like shit from her server days before she applied as Keith’s tutor.

“What’s her problem?” Allura whispered to Keith.

“She was given the wrong tea and she’s being a huge bitch about it.” Keith whispered back.

“You understand Japanese?”

“A bit.” Keith shrugged while he glared distastefully at the woman in front of them. “Shiro taught me some.”

Allura realized that Keith’s still probably fuming from Kimiko’s comment earlier. So she comforted him;

“Don’t listen to her.” Allura said softy. “I’m actually happy Lance is with you.”

Keith smiled at her but didn’t say anything else because Kimiko turned her attention back at them after she shooed Fuyumi away.

“Won’t Yumi be joining us, mother?” Shiro scowled when the screen doors closed.

“None sense, Takashi, you know better than that.” His mother waved it off. “Fuyumi has a table reserved in the common area.” She then turned to Keith and Allura. “I’m sorry for that little mishap. My aide could be a little… _slow_.”

Allura wanted nothing else that very moment but to dump her crab soup at Kimiko because of how downright a bitch she was. They obviously did not like each other and it was obvious that Kimiko didn’t like Keith as well. The only one she tolerated is Shiro but even he didn’t escape Kimiko’s cold act of comparing him with his older brother. Allura knew that even if Shiro didn’t show it, that comment obviously did a blow on his confidence.

Slowly, Allura connected the dots. Kimiko obviously played favorites and Shiro didn’t hold that title; he was simply a replacement for Sven. No wonder they didn’t like each other. But that was when Allura realized that Shiro’s whole existence was to be his older brother’s stand-in.

What a horrible mother.

“Please, eat to your heart’s content.”

Allura snapped out her thoughts when Kimiko’s voice sliced through her mind and it was not a welcomed sound.

It was the most awkward dinner ever. The topics they talked about were reduced to simple chatter such as the changing weather and Voltron’s stocks in the market. Mostly, it was Shiro and Kimiko who talked with Allura occasionally nodding while Keith completely went silent and distant.

Finally, Allura excused herself to go to the ladies room to retouch her make up. She got up and left the room but instead of the intended task, she went and looked for Fuyumi.

Allura found the young woman sitting by herself on an outdoor table sipping some tea. Her eyes were distant and they looked sad which made Allura take pity on her.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked gently and Fuyumi jumped up from her seat and she stared at Allura with wide eyes.

“Ms. Allura!” She forced out and remembered her manners. “O-Of course, please, be my guest.” Allura took a seat and she sat back down.

“Have you eaten?” Allura asked kindly and Fuyumi was taken back by the gesture. “Shiro and I got worried about you when you didn’t join us.”

“You did?” Fuyumi asked in disbelief then she lowered her head timidly. “I mean, yes, I have. Thank you and please, give my thanks to master Takashi as well.” She paused thoughtfully. “He has always been kind. I heard that his older brother was kind as well but I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting the eldest master. It’s unfortunate that he’s…” she trailed off.

Allura fell silent and watched as Fuyumi turned her head and watched the glittering city lights against the starry backdrop and the traffic that lined the horizon with red and yellow.

“Ms. Allura?” She began.

“Hm?”

“The madam doesn’t like you.”

That summed it up. “I’m sure she doesn’t.”

Fuyumi shook her head and turned to face Allura again. “You don’t understand. She will try everything to pry maser Takashi from you.”

Allura fell silent and she frowned at what the girl said. “What did I ever do to her?”

“Existing.” The other sighed. “You see, the madam demands complete control of the company and the family. Her choices and her wishes must be followed at all costs and she doesn’t want you for the master because…”

“I think I know where you’re going.” Allura said. She totally understood where Fuyumi was coming from and being Kimiko’s aide, she knew more of that bitch’s tantrums more than anyone. Of course Shiro’s mother didn’t like Allura; she was a simpleton who didn’t have a huge amount of money to her name. She actually has to work like everyone else to earn her keep. Kimiko most likely forced women who are celebrities and daughters of business tycoons on Shiro.

The thought of Shiro being unhappy sickened her. Allura made sure to always put the happiness of the people she loved and cared about above her own and she wasn’t going to make sure that Shiro always had the freedom to choose.

 “But I’ll have you know that Shiro and I are in this together.” She smiled when Fuyumi did but as well but then Allura remembered that Fuyumi burned her hand earlier.”

“How’s your hand, dear?” She asked kindly and Fuyumi looked at her right hand that was slightly red from the burn. “Did you put ointment on it?”

Fuyumi shook her head.

“That’s not right.” Allura frowned and took her purse. She pulled out a small tube of all-around ointment and squeezed out some. “Here, give me your hand.”

The aide was hesitant at first but soon complied. It felt soothing when Allura smoothed out the ointment on the burnt skin. Before she could pull it back, Allura pulled out her handkerchief and used it to dress the burn.

“But, ma’am…” Fuyumi began to protest but Allura shook her head and smiled at her.

“It’s alright. You can keep it.”

Fuyumi stared at her bandaged hand then her eyes softened at the act of kindness. She lifted her dark gaze and locked them with Allura’s blue lilac ones.

“You are truly kind, Ms. Allura.” She said. “Master Takashi is blessed to have you in his life.”

That compliment made Allura blush and she had to look away to try and hide her color bloomed cheeks. “Okay, that’s just… I didn’t expect that, Fuyumi.”

The other woman chuckled softly but her eyes turned sad again. “Allura, please, take care of him. Don’t let master Takashi’s fate be the same as master Sven’s.”

“What are you talking about?” Allura’s brows furrowed in dark confusion. “Shiro always talked highly of his brother and said that he was a natural at leading as Voltron's CEO.” Her eyes darkened. “However, Sven died in a car accident, right?” Allura remembered that Shiro told her that Sven swerved off the road and went straight into a roadside cliff.

Fuyumi stared at her and her gaze grew eerie. Suddenly, they looked older than they should be for a young woman like her. “No.” she said as she slowly shook her head. “That’s what they say and that is what the madam chose to believe because she refused to acknowledge the truth. Even master Takashi knows what really happened and it griefs him to this day.”

“Fuyumi, what are you trying to say?” Allura’s voice dropped to a whisper. “What happened to Shiro’s brother?”

The other woman took a deep breath.

“Master Sven died in car accident.” She began. “But when the police reports came in, they found no trace of automobile error or sabotage. The road he was driving on did not have any hazards and toxicology from the autopsy came out negative from alcohol.”

Allura paled. “Are you saying…?”

Fuyumi nodded sadly and her eyes lifted to stare at the stars. “From what I heard from the older employees working for the Shirogane clan, the madam took away everything that mattered in master Sven’s life and infused her control over his every decision.”

_Oh, no._

Allura felt hear heart break and her anger flared in utter horror as she finally saw what Kimiko was trying to do to Shiro when Fuyumi finally said;

“Not being able to bear the weight of the burden any longer, he killed himself.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PSA: It's safe to say that we're down to our last ten or so chapters. I'm going to fucking cry when this tale about taking chances at happiness ends.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Keith, please..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's your weekly update! I AM POSTING THIS WHILE I AM AT MY OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY SO YOU CAN SHARE THE JOY OF THE HOLIDAYS! I hope you guys enjoy! 
> 
> This chapter is beta'd by sir-schneeflocke (DAMN GURL UR SO SALTY AND ANGSTY I LOVE IT! Thanks for helping me out!)
> 
> All aboard the Klangst train! Choochoo!

Chapter 29

It was 6 AM on a Wednesday when Allura heard the familiar squeak of the shower knob being turned, followed by the gushing of water.

Approximately 5 minutes later, Lance’s singing echoed from the bathroom and through the thin walls of the apartment. Allura laid in bed and stared at the dark ceiling with her arm thrown over her head as she listened to Lance’s rendition of Baby One More Time.

Lance was a good singer.

Allura remembered how Lance always got the lead roles in his school plays during elementary. He gets recruited as the angel Gabriel during Christmas plays and Allura would always be on the front seat with her camera and cheering her little boy on.

However, the adorable memories didn’t last long as last night’s memories came flooding back to her. Allura remembered everything Fuyumi had told her and that was what bothered her the most. Kimiko was truly cruel to push her own son to take his own life and now Allura realized the hell Shiro must be living with.

Allura turned to her side and snuggled her second pillow. She closed her eyes and imagined that it was Shiro; that thing would just have to do until she sees him at work later. She couldn’t help but feel worried for him. How long has Shiro been CEO? Almost seven years now? Seven years of being held by the neck by his own mother.

Yes, Shiro was the head of a company and he had easy access to money, cars, and pretty much anything he wanted. Business magazine named him one of “2016’s promising millionaires under forty” and the local celebrity magazines labeled him as one of the most popular bachelors in the city. Shiro was powerful but was he happy with a mother strangling him like that?

Shiro must be so strong to have held on for so long.

Allura squeezed the pillow and pushed the bad thoughts away. She heard the shower knob squeak again just as Lance said in a cheerfully loud voice to his invisible audience; “Thank you, everybody! I’m Lance and I wish you all a great day ahead!!!”

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up when a soft knock on her bedroom door came.

“Mom?” Lance’s head poked in, his brown hair damp. “Good morning!”

“Good morning, baby boy.” Allura smiled sleepily at him. “Off to school?”

“Yeah.” Lance nodded. “I’m going to come in early today to beat the traffic. I left Blue in my locker yesterday.”

“Alright. Grab some breakfast on the way there.”

“I’m entitled to a free jumbo muffin from work.” Lance replied. “I’ll pass by the café for it before heading to school.”

“Be safe.” Allura nodded.

“Will do. Love ‘ya, mom.”

“I love you too, Lance.” Allura chuckled softly and pulled off the covers from her legs just as Lance blew her a kiss. Then he left.

“Seriously,” Allura sighed with a small smile on her lips. “Whatever did I do to deserve such wonderful people in my life?”

~

That afternoon, Lance was walking with Hunk after classes had ended. He was off duty today at the Coffee Nook so he had time to spend with his friends and his boyfriend. They were supposed to meet Pidge and Shay by the gates while Keith said that he was going to catch up because Coran asked to speak to him about something.

“The Space Explorers Netflix remake is amazing!” Lance said excitedly while he did a little skip step besides Hunk as they walked down the long hallway of lockers. “I love how the revamped the characters! I mean, have you seen the Blue Paladin? He’s hot!”

“Dude, I watched the first two-episode special last night… TWICE.” Hunk beamed and jabbed a proud thumb at himself. “I just love it so much, bro! And the bayards? Goddamn, the yellow guy’s bazooka machine gun is freakin rad.”

“I know!” Lance laughed. “Man, it’s going to be a pain waiting for the new episode.”

The two of them were lost in their conversation when Lance’s phone vibrated in his pants pocket. He fished out the device and swiped at the screen to look at the message. His blood ran cold;

**‘ (: ‘**

It was from the same anon and the vagueness of the message made the hairs on Lance’s nape stand up. He froze in the middle of the hallway just as Hunk noticed the strange looks they got from the other students there.

“Lance, what’s happening?” Hunk frowned. “Is it the same person?”

Lance nodded, his face grim. “I don’t understand this.” And he flipped his phone to show the screen to Hunk.

“A smiley?” Hunk asked and Lance was about to say something when someone called them from the end of the hall. “What the hell do they want now?”

“Lance!” It was Claice, his grade’s class president. She waved frantically as she called out to him and her long silvery hair swished like white gold down her back as she ran towards them. “Lance!”

“What’s happening?” Lance’s brows scrunched over his eyes confusion. “Chill, you need to catch your breath.”

But Claice shook her head. “No. You need to come with me, both of you.”

“To where?”

“To your locker.”

 

When they rushed to where Lance’s locker was, there was already a small crowd that had gathered around it.

“Excuse me, coming through!” Lance pushed passed the people while Lance and Hunk followed behind. When Lance reached his locker, his heart immediately fell from his chest and shattered on the floor. His lock was broken and most of books were on the floor. But what broke his heart was that Blue, his skateboard was smashed to pieces on the floor.

Lance couldn’t speak and he felt something in him died because Blue meant so much to him. Allura pulled so many overtimes just so she can _afford_ Blue for Lance’s fifteenth’ birthday. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much if Lance had bought Blue using his own money, but no. This was a gift from his mother.

“Alright, who the fuck did this?!” Hunk angrily demanded at the crowd who just stared at him with either blank or wide eyed looks. “This isn’t funny!”

“Hunk, let it go.” Lance forced out but he didn’t spare a glance at his best friend. His whole body felt like lead as he moved to pick up his books one by one.

Claice pressed her lips together in a tight line and clenched her fists. She whirled around and faced the crowd of onlookers. “Nothing to see here.” She raised her voice with a sharpened edge of authority. “Go on, away with all of you and get to class!.”

Murmurs lifted in the air but Lance only heard white noise as he focused on his task. His arms felt like rusted iron that was so hard to budge and behind him, the crowd dissolved as the class president and Hunk shooed them off.

“Lance, I strongly suggest that Mr. Coran or Headmaster Alfor be informed about this.” Claice said. “Would you like me to file the report for you? I understand that you’re still pretty shaken.”

Lance briefly closed his eyes and behind him, he felt Hunk step beside him and silently started to gather Blue’s shattered pieces in his arms. Lance felt a mixture of anger, sadness, and shame clash inside him because first and foremost, shit had hit the fan and everything had spiraled out of his control.

“Thanks, Claice.” Hunk put the words in Lance’s mouth. “Lance appreciates the help. He’ll tell his mom about this too, right, buddy?” the latter part sounded pretty edgy and Hunk only sounded like that when he’s trying to hold back his anger.

“Y-yeah, I will.” Lance replied softly. “Thank you, Claice.”

The girl nodded and her eyes scanned the edges where the walls connected with the ceiling. “There are no cameras in this area so this makes the investigation a bit more difficult. Expect to be spoken to by our class advisor tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

After that dismissive tone from Lance, Claice walked away.

“Lance.”

“What?” Lance finally stood up to place his books back in his locker. Some of them were wrinkled and some pages were torn but they were mostly fine. His bag was intact but despite Blue, everything else was untouched.

“Are you ready to tell the others about this?” Hunk asked while he placed Blue’s permanently damaged body inside a tote bag he grabbed from inside his friend’s locker.

Lance nodded wordlessly, not being able to have it in him to meet Hunk’s eyes. He just stared at the floor with a blank look on his face and a dead look in his eyes. The only emotions that reflected were the way Lance’s bottom lip trembled and his blue eyes sheened with the tears he fought back

*

“WHO DID THIS?” Pidge demanded, their voice high and shrill. “I WILL FIND THEM AND I WILL FUCKING END THEM!”

“I don’t know.” Lance slumped against the high brick wall that served as a barrier to the street outside. “There’s this anonymous person that started harassing me on text at first.” Lance winced as the realisation came that maybe he should’ve said something earlier.

“When did this start?” Pidge crossed their arms over their chest.

“Months ago, Pidge.” Lance sighed. “Even before Keith and I started dating.”

“That’s quite a long time.” Shay frowned as she spoke for the first time. She knew that someone had been harassing Lance because Hunk told her as much as he knew at the time, but she never knew just how long it had been going on.

“I thought,” Lance forced out and clenched the strap of his bag until his knuckles turned white. “That if I just ignore them, they’d eventually get tired and leave me alone.” He paused and took in a shaky breath. “They said that if I told anyone about what’s going on, they threatened to get you guys involved. I can’t risk you, and I can’t risk Keith.” He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. “I… I can’t let that happen.”

“But you _will_ tell your mom, right?” Hunk asked with a frown. “ _Right, Lance_? This has gone full out apeshit already who knows what they might do next.”

“Sure.” Lance whined, wanting to crawl out of his skin and escape the conversation.

“Maybe I can do something.” Pidge said and took out their phone from their skirt pocket. “Pass me the number and I’ll hunt this person down with some software I got from the deep web.”

Hunk shuddered but did not intervene while Lance wordlessly did as Pidge asked. Even the menial task of scrolling through his phone felt heavy after the overwhelming events that happened to him.

“Where’s Keith, by the way?” Shay asked and the others looked as clueless as she was.

“Coran called him after classes ended.” Lance replied. “I think it’s about his grades.”

“But he made it into the top ten.” Pidge narrowed their eyes as they thought of the possibilities. “Why would he be called up?”

Lance just shrugged weakly.

“I hope he gets here soon.” Hunk said and he joined Lance to lean on the brick wall. “The earlier he’s here, the sooner we can tell him about what happened.”

“No.” Lance’s head suddenly snapped up and his blue eyes were wide and worried behind his glasses. He quickly grabbed the tote bag the held the remains of his shattered skateboard. “You can’t tell Keith about what happened!”

“Lance, what the fucking hell are you saying?” Pidge demanded sourly. “He has the right to know about this!”

Lance shook his head frantically. “No, please.” He begged. “I’ll tell mom about this and she’ll come to school soon to talk to Coran about it but Keith… he might go on a manhunt on this.”

Pidge shut their mouth, internally debated what should be done.

 Lance had a point; they have seen Keith get angry and almost strangled an upperclassman because of it. So the weighed options began to dwindle in validity.

“Keith will be upset if you keep this from him.” Shay let out a feeble: “And I’m sure he’d help out.”

“I know.” Lance sighed in worry. “Keith’s grades might have been saved but his own fight to keep studying in Altea isn’t done yet. There’s still the issue about his behavioral probation.” He looked at his squad and begged; “I’ll tell him once mom and I fix this. But please, don’t tell Keith yet.”

 ** _“Don’t tell Keith what?”_** The ice cold voice was sharp as it slashed through the air like a whip.

Lance paled and the rest of the squad fell quiet with surprise. Lance slowly turned to face Keith and he flinched when he saw how those violet eyes looked like sharp blades that bore into his.

“Don’t tell me what, Lance?” Keith repeated and Lance gulped at how upset and confused he looked.

“I…” Lance began and Keith narrowed his eyes at him. “Well, I…”

“Lance,” Shay offered and reached to wrap her fingers around Lance’s arm to give it a gentle squeeze. “Do you want some privacy?”

A nod.

“Alright, then.” Shay replied with gentle understanding. “We’ll leave you two alone.” Hunk wordless took her hand and their fingers intertwined. “We’ll be at my place. My nana’s making her special soup since it’s cold today so you guys just catch up after you talk, okay?”

“Thanks, Shay.” Lance managed a small smile while Keith nodded once but did not saying anything.

There was an awkward silence between them while the others left but when they finally disappeared down parking lot where Hunk has his car parked, Keith cleared his throat.

“Well?”

“Keith, well…” Lance felt his fingers twitch and he had to muster the strength to reach inside the tote bag. When he did, he felt pain gnash in his heart at the feeling of Blue shattered piece and he pulled it out of the bag to show Keith.

Those violet eyes widened with shock then shone from the inside with worry.

“What the fuck happened?” he demanded as he quickly rushed over to Lance to examine the skateboard part then his eyes lifted to look at the other. “Are you hurt? Did you fall?”

“No.” Lance shook his head. “Someone… someone smashed it on purpose.”

“Who?!”

“I have reason to believe that it’s…” Lance forced out. “My harasser through text.”

Keith fell quiet and Lance felt a chill run down his spine at how enigmatic and unreadable Keith became. “When did this start?”

“Long before we started dating.”

Lance pulled his uniform jacket tighter around himself when a cold wind blew down but nothing prepared him for what happened next;

“And you didn’t tell me?!” Keith snapped. Lance took a stop back in surprise at Keith’s anger but there wasn’t much he could do. The damage had already been done and he admitted that he played a part at the fault of it because he didn’t tell anyone.

“I thought that if I just ignore them, they’ll get tired and leave me alone!” Lance found himself raising his voice back. “But then they got more aggressive. They broke my glasses and they told me that they’ll get the others involved if I told anyone and you---“

Keith argued. “Why didn’t you tell me or anyone sooner? This could have been avoided! I could’ve beaten the shit out of this person!”

“I couldn’t risk it! Can’t you see how you’re reacting right now, Keith?” Lance didn’t back down. “You’re still under probation, I didn’t know how you’d react and for all I know, you might’ve done something that would get you booted from Altea before we even get to our final year!”

"So you fucking hid this from me." Keith stated angrily. "What are you trying to say, that you don't trust me now? That this relationship is just built up on some bullshited promise?"

The sudden outburst made Lance coil, but he refused to back down.

"What that fuck? Keith, no, I---" Lance forced out, his head held high despite the fear of being knocked down. “Could you please shut up and let me explain for one second, please!”

Lance stepped forward carefully but Keith’s retaliation came in bursts.

“You think your explanations can fix this?!”

“You are sounding really fucking ridiculous right now, Keith!” Lance shot back. “I was trying to protect you!”

“I can take care of myself, I’m not a kid!” Keith threw his hands up in exasperation and shook his head. “Why do so many people think I’m still so helpless??”

Lance clenched his hands into fists to try and be the rational thinker in this argument. It was obvious that his boyfriend was blinded by the red haze of his own anger. He wasn’t going to listen without calming down first.

Lance reminded himself to breathe, there was no point in both of them being so blind and irrational if they were going to resolve this together.

A prolonged silence passed before anybody spoke.

“Keith.” Lance frowned and made the mistake of touching the iron while it was hot. “Can you just calm down?”

He reached forward to touch Keith’s shoulder.

Keith reacted defensively to the touch, swatting Lance’s hand away and thrusting Lance back causing him to stagger on his heels, then cut him off like a jaded rock before he could protest.

"If you can't even communicate with me about these things then why the hell are we even dating?" Keith snapped. "Next thing I know, that whole scene with the mug was a joke just to spin me around!"

Lance was astonished. “You don’t mean that, Keith. Take that back, right now!” He retaliated, utterly hurt. “You know that it’s true, I'm dating you because I love you! I thought you knew that!”

Keith shook his head. His frustration seemed to emit in the atmosphere around him, beginning to swallow Lance in it’s dark shadow.

“You couldn’t even trust me enough to tell me about this!” Keith’s words were like a whip. The accusation that his feelings for Keith weren’t real hit Lance like a slap on the face. He fell silent and just stared in horror but Keith wasn't showing any signs of stopping since his anger had already clouded his rational mind.

Lance tried to argue back he tried to push past the emotional exhaustion from all of this but he just couldn’t find the words to rebut what Keith had just thrown at him. So he just stood there, eyes sheened by the tears he fought back. Without that assurance, Keith was shoved over the edge, and as he shattered all the bits and pieces showered the last remaining safe thought in doubt.

 

_Everything began to crumble._

 

"You know what, Lance? Go fuck yourself. I’m done with this conversation!"

 

_Everything Lance had built together with Keith came crashing down._

 

Lance watched as Keith whirled around and stormed off, leaving him in the middle of the street.

 

_Then before he could blink, it was…_

_Gone_.

Left alone and broken, the tears finally fell and Lance’s heart shattered into a million pieces.  Bystanders had just curved around the fallout, which was understandable, but Lance wanted to know why they were able to move on while he felt so stuck in place.

He envied them… so much. That it was so _easy_ for them to move on when this was going to stick to Lance like a bad smell, cursing him whenever Keith ran through his thoughts.

It just wasn’t fair.

However, unknown to Lance, his misery provided quality entertainment for some people. Hidden at a corner, silently listening in, Rolo smirked at Nyma who covered her mouth while she suppressed her giggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rare image of Rolo and Nyma at the end of this chapter:
> 
> ┴┬┴ ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ├┬┴┬ I


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said on my tumblr, I'll do doing a double update as a holiday gift to all of you! Thank you very much for all the love and support you've given me to keep this story going. You guys are amazing! You and the story are only a few of what made my 2016 less shitty. (Cuz you know.. 2016 is shitty. We don't talk about it.) Without further ado, here are chapters 30 and 31!
> 
>  **TRIGGER WARNINGS:**  
>  -Physical violence  
> -Mild sexual harassment   
> -Some blood
> 
> You have been dutifully warned. 
> 
> This chapter is beta'd by sir-schneeflocke.

Chapter 30

“Will you be okay?” Shiro asked Lance as he pulled over on a red light early the next day. Lance sat quietly beside him and the only thing that made the morning less depressing was the music that played on the car’s stereo where Lance’s phone was connected with an aux cord. The events of the day before still loomed over his head and the teen didn’t answer.

Lance just nodded and mustered a smile but it didn’t really convince Shiro that he was okay. Lance looked utterly miserable right now; his eyelids were swollen probably from crying before bed. His skin was pasty and he looked really tired.

Shiro was around when Lance came home a crying mess last night with a tote bag that contained the remains of his skateboard. Allura had rushed to his son and Shiro watched in frozen shock as his girlfriend coaxed out the story from Lance and in return, he narrated what happened.

Allura’s features twisted with horror and anger just as her cellphone rang when Mr. Coran called. Shiro had gathered Lance and helped him sit on the couch because the teen looked utterly devastated when he sank to the wooden floorboards. When Shiro asked Lance if he was hurt or anything, he just shook his head wordlessly but when he asked why Keith wasn’t with him, Lance broke down into a sobbing mess and threw his arms around Shiro as he trembled.

It was a harrowing experience; Allura’s voice sounded so panicked on the phone, Lance found himself clinging to the fabric of Shiro’s dress shirt and his tears soaked the expensive, starched fabric. Shiro never let go once though, his arms a barrier around Lance. He felt protective towards the broken teen as Shiro’s hand ran up and down Lance’s back in a soothing rhythm.

Allura and Coran’s conversation ended with the two reaching an agreement to meet first thing Friday morning when it was more convenient for the two of them so Lance just had to hold on that Thursday. Allura joined the two in an embrace straight after. She sat beside Lance and combed her fingers through his brown locks while she assured him that everything will get better. Allura showered him in kisses and never stopped talking to him even with Shiro there.

“Listen.” Shiro kept his eyes on the road but his words were aimed towards the boy who sat on the passenger seat. “You don’t have to come to school today if you don’t feel safe.”

“I’ll be okay, Shiro.” Lance replied with an easy chuckle. “I have the _squad_ with me. I’m sure they got my back.” For a moment there, Shiro thought he saw a shadow pass over the blue irises of Lance’s eyes but it was gone. Lance lowered his gaze and fiddled with the tip of his violet tie.

“Where’s Keith, by the way?” Shiro felt his throat dry up at the question. When he got home last night, Keith was deathly quiet. He didn’t say anything and Shiro put two and two together with how Lance and Keith acted differently. He didn’t push with questions and he did not intervene because whatever happened, it was between those two.

“He’s not coming to school today.” Shiro replied with a concerned look in his eyes. “He said that you guys aren’t doing much since the school break is coming up at the end of the week so he decided to stay home and sleep in.”

There was a small; “Oh.” and Shiro’s brows furrowed in concern.

“Are you two... _okay_?” he asked and beside him, Lance looked up from fiddling with the end of his tie.

“Yeah.” He lied.

Shiro let that sink in but he didn’t buy it at all. He wanted to help but he knew that Lance wouldn’t appreciate it if Shiro jumped into a personal matter like that without being asked to. So instead, he reached out and placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

“Lance,” he breathed. “I’m glad you told your mother about what’s going on...” Shiro paused, his throat thick with emotion. “And me.”

Lance felt his face burn and he gave a small shy smile but it looked a little sad paired with how gloomy his eyes were.

“Thanks, Shiro.” He replied. “I’m glad I can talk to you about these things.”

“Of course you can.” Shiro said and took away his hand but when he turned a glance towards Lance, the teen held his dark gaze in a stared down with his own blue ones. They looked enigmatic and Shiro felt something crawl under his skin with how serious Lance looked at him.

“Shiro?” Lance asked, his tone was careful.

“Yes?”

“Do you love mom?”

Shiro stilled and just stared back at Lance until the light turned green and the car behind them honked. Putting the car into drive, Shiro grasped the wheel. “I do, Lance.”

“Okay. Good.” Lance smiled and the light in his eyes briefly returned. “Don’t hurt her, okay? She’s the best person in the world, like holy shit, she’s amazing!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Shiro replied sincerely. “I’d rather lose my right arm than put your mother in any kind of pain.”

That was the correct answer and Lance’s smile became brighter. “I’m really happy to know that. I’ve never seen her this happy before.”

Shiro seemed glad that their conversation got a little lighter as they neared Altea. They talked about Allura mostly; her favorite food, her hobbies, the people in her Sunday book club, and a lot more. Lance told Shiro little odd quirks about Allura like how she liked her coffee sweet and her stir fry spicy.

Shiro thought to offer some information in return. “Keith likes his sausages cut up into octopus shapes.” He said with the euphoria of the past conversation and just like that, Lance’s smile disappeared and his shoulder slumped in instant regret.

“R-Really?” The smile Lance was able to summon back up appeared sad. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Shiro drove the car into the school grounds and pulled over to the drop off point for students. Lance wordlessly grabbed his backpack from the back seat after he unbuckled his seatbelt and slung one strap over his shoulder.

“Thanks for the ride, Shiro.” Lance flashed a quick smile while he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He opened the car door and prepared to head out but before he can leave, Shiro spoke: “Lance.”

“Yeah?”

Shiro gave him a steady look and a single nod. “Be careful today. Call me or your mom if something goes wrong, alright?”

The kind smile Shiro offered seem to melt through Lance’s sadness and he felt the warmth bloom within him. He had never had another figure to look up to besides his mom and the past few months Shiro’s been spending with them made Lance see him in a different light;

Someone Lance thought he would never have in his life.

For a moment there, Lance felt that everything will be okay. He had people who cared about him and he had friends who always had his back. However, his heart cried and bled for someone else.

Someone who wouldn’t listen.

“I’ll remember that. Thanks,” _Dad._ “Shiro.”

With a final wave goodbye, he shut the door and watched Shiro drive away. After he took a deep breath, Lance turned around and walked inside the marble archways of Altea’s front door.

Lance convinced himself that he just had to get through the day; school and then work afterwards. That’s it. After that, Allura will come to school tomorrow morning and talk to Coran and Alfor about what happened. Maybe if he has lucky, something just might come out of this ‘investigation’. But Lance could only hope so much; all he had were the text messages and the unknown number. They won’t be much use unless those evidences led to someone and phone numbers can easily be discarded especially if it was a prepaid sim meant to be a temporary one.

It was still very early and the hallways weren’t that crowded yet and it his squad was still on their own separate ways to school. Hunk had texted him earlier when he was in the car with Shiro and as Lance thought back to those exiled moments in the Audi, he felt a little happiness flutter in his heart. Shiro is so madly in love with Allura and he gave Lance one hundred percent support. He felt comfortable opening up to him about his problems except for one;

He paused in the middle of the hall and in front of Keith’s locker. He stared at the close metal door with heaviness in his heart and salt in his throat. He pulled out his phone to check the screen and hoped that maybe Keith texted him, but his inbox came out as empty.

With a sigh, Lance kept his phone and dragged himself to his broken locker. He opened it and saw that it had been undisturbed overnight. Reluctantly, Lance dropped his bag into it and took out his history book for his first class with Coran. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth when his eyes wandered to the empty spot where he used to prop up Blue and he felt his heart sink. Lance felt angry, but who should he be angry at? The anon? Himself?

He loathed both with the heavy regret aimed at himself the most.

Lance felt like his hands were tied; he should have said something but there was that fear that stemmed from the threat that they would hurt his friends if he did…

And Keith. They might do something to him.

The loud bang helped Lance snap out of it when he slammed his locker door shut. But when he turned around, breath rushed out of his lungs when a hand roughly shoved him back against the locker doors.

“Mornin’, Lance.” Rolo grinned.

“Rolo. What the fuck are you doing?” Lance demanded and glared at him. Nyma was standing behind him along with Reedus and those girls that followed Nyma around like the kiss-ups that they are.

“We heard what happened.” Rolo feigned a look of sadness that Lance thought was the stupidest thing ever. “Sorry about the skateboard, my man.” He reached to clap Lance by the shoulder but he shrugged it off. “Ohhh,I like ‘em _feisty_.”

“I bet you enjoyed it.” Lance hissed and his blue eyes flashed with anger. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

Rolo scoffed. “Wow, I’m _hurt_ , Lance.” Rolo placed his hand over his chest in an act of farce dejection. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to point blame at other people without any hint of proof~”

“Rolo.” Nyma spoke this time. She stepped closer towards him and leaned it to whisper but it was loud enough for Lance to hear. “I think Lance is just having a hard time. Keith broke up with him after all.”

“No, he didn’t!” Lance snapped. Then he went still and narrowed his glare at Nyma. “Wait, what made you say that?”

Nyma blinked and bit her lower lip as she flipped her blond hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes to make it appear like she didn’t care. “Oh please,” She scoffed. “You were yelling at each other outside the school and people saw you. These walls talk, dear.”

“Don’t fucking call me that.” Lance bit out bitterly. But Rolo just chuckled at his reaction while their cronies looked at each other and appeared to force laughter too but for some reason, they looked really uncomfortable.

“You’re lucky that the prettiest girl in campus even called you ‘dear’.” Nyma draped herself over him to make a point. Rolo then took a step closer towards Lance and the other stepped back and pressed himself harder against the lockers. “You know what? You’re lucky we’re even trying to comfort you about your silly little skateboard.”

“That was a gift from my mom, you asshole!” Lance gritted out. “And _you_ just had to break it for your own sick amusement!” Lance stepped forward and shoved Rolo out of his way. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go.”

Rolo narrowed his eyes in irritation; no one and he meant _no one_ walked away from him like that. With a single powerful movement, he shoved Lance back by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the lockers again which earned him a death glare from those blue eyes.

“Look, sorry to hear about your board, you little shit.” Rolo hissed under his breath and behind him, his companions backed off slowly. The only one who looked like she was enjoying herself was Nyma. “But I’m not going to stand here while you accuse me of breaking that stupid thing, mama’s boy. If you’re looking for someone to pity you, head back to your little Reject’s Club.”

Lance studied him with a blank look on his face before a slow, cynical smile lifted on his lips but it did not reach the storm that darkened his eyes. “Really?” he challenged. “The last time I checked, I’m not the one surrounded by dropkicks and kiss-asses, Rolo.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “It must be such a blow to your ego for someone of Keith’s stature to leave your little shit group because you treated him like crap.”

“Keith had everything when he was with us! There’s nothing you could have possibly given him to match.” Nyma’s tone dripped with poison. But Lance let out a harsh chuckle;

“Oh yeah? He looks pretty happy with us” he replied coolly. “I’m sure that friends don’t let friends walk home wasted from a party on their own, you sick fucks.”

“Tch.” Rolo glared and rolled his eyes. “Keith’s a big boy. He can take care of himself, but can you?” Rolo leaned in towards him and Lance winced. “Do you honestly think you can take me on? Because all I’m seeing right now is a sad little shit crying over a stupid skateboard.” He paused and enjoyed how aggravated Lance looked right now. Rolo was honestly having a shit ton of fun right and he kept rubbing salt on the wound.

“You know, Lance,” Rolo smiled slyly and dropped his tone an octave so only Lance heard. “You shouldn’t get so caught up with a broken toy.” His beady black eyes bore deep into Lance’s blue ones. “You can snag a _new_ board with a sugar daddy like Keith.”

Lance became deathly quiet; a thunderstorm brewed inside him.

“That’s the reason, right, scholar?” Rolo pushed on. “Keith will give you anything you ask for. Hell, even _I_ would give you _anything_ you wanted.” Rolo reached down and slowly ran a hand down Lance’s waist, nimble fingers clawing into Lance’s thigh. “All you have to do is open your legs like a good little slut–!“

 

Nyma screamed when Lance punched Rolo square on the face.

 

The punch was so hard that Rolo staggered back but he wasn’t able to fall because Lance grabbed him by the collar and landed another punch on his face. There was a wild, terrifying light in Lance’s eyes and his face was twisted with so much anger in him. He pushed Rolo back and reversed the earlier situation by slamming him against the locker.

“H-hey, man! L-let’s be cool with this, i-it was a joke! Just a–”

Lance lifted his fist again to plant another punch on Rolo’s face and he watched him wince like the pathetic piece of shit that he was, but then a strong force pulled him back.

“Lance!” Hunk revoked. “Lance, stop it, that’s enough!” Lance fought against the bear hug that held him back but Hunk was too strong with his grip. “It’s over, bro, it’s over! You got him, see?”

Lance tried to see past the red haze and he gulped in breaths through his mouth to force himself to calm down. True enough, Hunk was right; Rolo was down on the floor and leaning on the locker. His eyes were wide and all the confidence and vigor that radiated from his person vanished because he looked downright terrified. Blood ran down his broken nose and his lower lip was split open.

All in just two punches. Rolo really was pathetic.

Yet Lance’s anger wasn’t numbed and his fists were still hot as he dug his nails into Hunk’s arm involuntarily.  

“Keith, where’s Keith?!” Shay was gasping in panic and her eyes flitted around. Her worry just grew even more when a crowd started to gather around them but it was sickening that no one dared to stop the fight.

“Let me go, Hunk.” Lance growled, his eyes filled with a bright blue flame of rage. “Just let me break his face a little more.” He struggled against Hunk’s grip again. “I said let me go!”

“Lance, come on, bro,” Pidge pulled themselves out, breathless from rushing to the scene. “He’s not worth it!”

“N-Not worth it?!” Nyma demanded in horror. She jabbed a finger at Rolo who their cronies were helping up to his feet. “He is the nephew of Altea Prep’s president!”

Chorused murmurs then lifted from the crowd and Lance’s fists went loose as he stared at Nyma.

“Mr. Sendak will hear about this!” Nyma spat out. Her cornflower blue eyes flashed dangerously and she bared her teeth through her blood colored lipstick in a sneer. “You can kiss your precious scholarship goodbye!”

Lance’s blood turned into ice and he went limp in Hunk’s restraint.

“What is this?!” The crowd parted when Coran and principal Alfor stepped through. The scene of Hunk holding Lance back and Rolo with a broken nose was enough to tell them what happened.

“Lance, is there an explanation for this?” Coran asked with a mix of shock and disappointment. The look had brought Lance back down from his high and Hunk let him go. Then Lance felt as though he had once again fallen apart.

“He’s been harassing me and I… I…” Lance began to stutter. But how can he not snap like that? Rolo stepped over the line and provoked him. Lance never realized how much anger he had been holding inside that he just…exploded when he couldn’t take it anymore.

“You threw the first punch!” Nyma threw the accusation. “Rolo was just sending his sympathies for what’s happening to you lately!”

“Shut up, Nyma!” Lance snapped back. “You and I both know what he said to me!” he gritted. “Where his _filthy hand_ went!”

Nyma feigned a look of hurt and pouted sadly and that made Lance sick to his stomach.

“Ohhh… Why is everything so dark?” Rolo moaned in pain which was pretty much just an act. “I was just being a good upperclassman. Why did he hit me?”

Lance felt his blood bubble in anger again but their cronies just made the situation worse; “Lance is one of the nicest people in school. He only started acting like that after he started dating Kogane.”

More murmurs from the crowd.

“Keith Kogane?” Lance heard someone say. “I heard he committed arson on his first year in Altea.”

“I heard he picks on newbies for fun.” Another said. “He beat up this kid behind the school so bad that he had to undergo corrective surgery for his face!”

“Kogane sure is a bad influence, huh? It’s too bad Lance ended up like him.”

“I wonder what Lance saw in a troublemaker like that.” More whispers.

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Lance spat out in Keith’s defense. Keith was devious but these people are wrong to judge Keith because they didn’t know the real him. They didn’t know the real man Lance is in love with. “Keith never did those things!

“Mr. Calhoun.” Alfor finally spoke up and Lance fell quiet again from the sudden burst of anger. His voice was calm but his face looked grim. “To my office, please.” He then glanced at Rolo. “Ms. Petrov, take Mr. Marquis to the infirmary.” Finally, he glanced at the other students who stared back at him with wide eyes.

“The rest of you retire to your classrooms.” And just as Alfor said that, the first bell rang to signal the start of class.

“Please let us come with Lance, Professor.” Hunk pleaded and he released Lance who stood there, limp and filled with dread at what he’d done. Beside them, Nyma and their cronies walked down the hallway to bring Rolo to the infirmary like they were asked to.

“Yeah.” Pidge nodded vigorously and they stepped forward. “Please, sir!”

“Count me in as well!” Shay followed, her eyes wide with pleading.

“No.” Alfor shook his head sadly. “Get to class, please. Lance will join you after the day is done. I assure you.”

Hunk, Pidge, and Shay stared worriedly at Lance but he just shrugged and smiled the best that he could.

“Go on, my _Nyas_.” He light tone did not match the bruises that started to darken his right hand. “Your great leader will be fine. I’ll see you guys later, ‘kay?”

“Let’s start class.” Coran led the three away while Lance turned his back and followed Alfor to his office.

One Lance entered, the double mahogany doors closed behind him with a soft click that was too loud for the large, empty corridors.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ 
> 
> ᕕ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ᕗ ᕕ( ՞ਊ ՞)ᕗ here’s me and Max running
> 
> God, this chapter was so stressful to write. I can't even, bruh.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'So what are you waiting for?  
> 'Cause someone could love you more.  
> I'm just a lost boy,  
> Not ready to be found.'
> 
> -Lost Boy, Troye Sivan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter beta'd by sir-schneeflocke

Chapter 31

_“I fully understand your side of the situation, Lance.”_

_“But, sir, he…”_

_“I know.” Alfor replied. “And I believe you. However, this is a losing case without any visual proof or unless a witness comes forward to vouch for your innocence.”_

_Prolonged silence._

_“Altea’s president called me just now. As you well know, he is Rolo’s uncle and he is very displeased that you sent his nephew to the ER with a broken nose.”_

_Alfor took another pause before continuing. “He wants you taken off the scholarship program… immediately.”_

_There was pain as his nails dug against the skin on his palms when he clenched his fists. But nothing compared to the pain that tore through his heart as Lance watched everything burn right before his eyes.  Allura can’t send him to Altea on regular rates and being taken out of the scholarship program is as good as an expulsion._

_“I’m sorry, Lance.” Alfor was truly apologetic. “Even Sendak has my hands tied. You’ve committed a grave behavioral offense and you fully understand the consequence of your actions?”_

_There was still a matter of hierarchy in Altea and since the headmaster only oversaw the educational programs of the students, most of the decisions still came and are approved by those in the top brass._

_“I understand, sir.” Lance replied and his voice shook brokenly._

_Alfor nodded slowly and he walked over to Lance from where he stood by the window while he watched the garden. Carefully, he placed a gentle hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Forgive me, Lance. I wish there was more I can do.”_

_“I get it, sir.” Lance nodded. “I know you tried.”_

_“You’re an exceptional pupil. Don’t ever second guess yourself, my boy.” Alfor said. “I really don’t want you to go but rules are rules.”_

_A silent nod._

_After Alfor studied him for a little while longer, he sighed; “Alright. Your mother has been informed and is on her way. Please wait for her at the main lobby.”_

Those memories replayed in Lance’s head like a bad dream as he stood at the back of the school. He didn’t listen to Alfor’s instructions of waiting at the lobby and instead, he followed the hollow gut feeling that swam in him. Lance trailed his eyes up the high brick and iron fence and spotted the partition gap between two sets of bars that Keith showed him when the snuck back in school after they went to the beach.

Lance didn’t think right in that moment; he was broken, lost, and he felt worthless. He promised his mom that he would buy her a house in a cozy suburb after he’s established with his life so she can retire early. But that promise and all the goals, hopes, and dreams he had set for himself are now bleak and out of reach.

Being an Altean alumni will instantly earn him a one way ticket to the ivy league universities that would secure his future, but now he was booted out like trash for defending himself and those he cared about. Was Altea really that great or was it just the prestige of the name that he’s after? Lance didn’t care about any of that right because he doesn’t have use for it anymore now that he was kicked out.

Lance peered from behind the unkempt shrubbery in that forgotten part of the fence and calculated how much time he had. Allura would be here in an hour considering the distance of Voltron Tower from the school but she’ll be here sooner if Shiro drives with her. A cold, strong wind blew down on him and his hair whipped along with it. Gray clouds started to roll in and he knew that it was going to rain today.

Without wasting any more time, Lance hauled his weight up and scaled the high barrier the way Keith showed him. He landed on his feet on the sidewalk on the other side.

He looked around and saw that he was alone.

_He felt alone._

With a broken heart and a troubled mind, Lance let his feet take him to God-knows-where.

And then, he was gone.

~

It was later that morning when Keith finally pulled his ass from the covers. His room was dark from the shut curtains, his hair stuck out everywhere, there were dark circles around his eyes, and he was in a shit mood.

Other than the grogginess, there was this other gross feeling just sitting at the pit of his stomach and when his brain finally finished rebooting, yesterday’s event replayed in his mind.

. . . Was it guilt?

Keith rolled onto his side and let that thought rest right in his center of his thoughts. It stood out like a stain on a freshly laid snow. Just… _There_.

 

 _He didn’t deserve it_.

Again, that odd feeling came back to just nestle in his stomach and antagonize him further.

“Fuck.” Keith pressed his hand over his forehead before he combed his fingers through his thick raven hair in frustration. The first thing he did was fetch his phone from underneath his pillow and he tapped on the glass so that the screen came alive. His eyes widened and he sat up;

7 messages from Pidge.

10 missed calls from Shay.

4 messages and 3 missed calls from Hunk.

0 from Lance.

Of course, Keith wasn’t surprised but he felt a pang of disappointment wash over him like a suffocating blanket. With a grumpy groan, Keith chucked his phone on night stand and swung his legs to the side of the bed. Keith thought very little of actually opening the messages, it was most likely them asking why he didn’t come to school that day, and it’s not like he wanted to share the reason why.

Keith grabbed a discarded shirt from the floor and pulled on some pants before he exited his room and padded down to the kitchen to get himself something to eat.

“Shiro?” Keith called out. But when greeted to silence, Keith assumed that Shiro didn’t have time to make breakfast because he left early for work.

True enough, there wasn’t food on the table so Keith went to the cupboard and took out a box of cereal then some milk from the fridge. He poured himself a bowl and sulked at the same while he ate. Keith admitted to himself that he was wrong; he knew that he should’ve listened and Lance didn’t deserve it when he lashed out.

However, another side of his mind argued back stubbornly in his defense; Lance didn’t tell him!

Wasn’t that betrayal? Weren’t they supposed to trust each other? Then again, Lance said that he was only trying to protect him and Keith didn’t know how to argue against that. Voices of pride and reason battled it out in his head and he didn’t even notice it when he finished his first bowl.

Keith further contemplated the fight when he went for a second serving of cereal and as he did, he realized how jaded he had been for rejecting Lance’s explanation. He deliberately let anger blind him and he blatantly pulled the asshole card and stormed away.

“Son of a bitch.” Keith hissed. He dropped the spoon on the bowl loudly and he ran both his hands through his hair. “I’m such a dickbag.”

To distract himself, Keith picked up the spoon again stirred the cereal while he watched as the bits swirled in a colorful vortex on the milk. He knew that he had to swallow his pride and apologize to Lance for yesterday’s shit storm.

After he finished his brunch, Keith jogged upstairs to splash some water on his face and brush his teeth. He had the whole day free until Lance comes home from school later that afternoon and Keith planned to use the time to practice his apology speech in front a mirror and work up some guts to actually not fuck up.

He returned to his room and at the same time, he heard his ringtone blare and his cellphone vibrated at the nightstand. Keith frowned and glanced at the digital clock beside his bed; it wasn’t even break time yet at Altea so who could be calling him?

Then his heart skipped a beat; could it be Lance? Did that jackass excuse himself to go to the bathroom just so he can take out his phone and call Keith?

Without wasting another second, Keith dove for his phone and grabbed it from the night stand.

**‘SHIRO CALLING’**

Keith’s brows furrowed in confusion. Why would Shiro be calling him?

“Hello?” he answered carefully. “Shiro?”

 **‘Keith?’** Shiro asked on the other line. **‘Good, you’re awake.’**

In the background, Keith could hear a female voice sobbing and when he listened closer, his eyes widened when he recognized it as Allura.

“Is that Allura?” Keith raised his voice in worry. “Is she okay?”

 **‘No, she’s not.’** Shiro’s voice became strained **. ‘We’re at her place. Wait, hold on a sec…’**

Shiro covered the receiver and Keith heard a muffled; **_‘Get some water to calm down, love.’_**

**‘Hello?’**

“Yeah, I’m still here.” Keith affirmed. “Did your mom swoop down from the sky with her deadly claws?” he snorted.

 **‘No.’** Shiro’s voice was deadpanned then dropped an octave and he asked; **‘She hasn’t bothered me today. Listen, have you heard from Lance today, Keith?’**

His chest tightened. The god awful feeling was back again he felt like his heart just leapt off a 50 storey building and is quickly falling to the pavement. Keith felt his blood run cold and the words were trapped in his throat. Why was Shiro asking this?

**‘Keith?’**

“No, I haven’t.” Keith admitted with forced words. He then cleared his throat; “We…We had a fight yesterday.”

**‘I see...’**

“Shiro, what’s happening?!” Keith raised his voice now and cold sweat beaded his forehead while his heart ran nervous laps in his chest. Shit, if something happened to Lance, he will never be able to forgive himself.

“Just fucking tell me already! Is he hurt?!”

There was another pause when Allura said something in the background that Keith didn’t quite catch, then Shiro returned.

“Shiro, answer me, dammit!”

 **‘Keith,’** Shiro’s voice was tight and a bit shaky. When he finally spoke, Keith felt fear engulf him **‘Lance is missing.’**

~

The fear only got worse after he read the squads messages to him and he called Pidge who was nice enough to slip out class and hide in a janitor’s closet just to tell him what happened that morning. Keith listened with wide eyes and parted lips in utter shock.

Lance? Beat Rolo? But Lance had always been the rational thinker between the two of them! Then again, it could be everything that weighed down on him finally made Lance cave in. However, that was a huge behavioral offense and it could only mean one thing;

Lance lost the scholarship.

The Ducati gave a loud cry as Keith sped through traffic and weaved from lane to lane to avoid the cars that came on his way.  Shiro was probably going to kill him for breaking at least twenty five traffic laws but that was the least of his concerns.

The ride didn’t take long and Keith roughly pulled off his helmet as he parked the bike beside where Shiro’s car was. And just in time, Keith saw two officers exit the front door of Lance’s apartment building. Shiro must have pulled out his old connections from the force to help look for Lance but Keith thought it wasn’t enough.

He had to be involved.

He had to find Lance no matter what.

After the cops got into the cruiser and rode off, Keith jogged up the front steps and pushed the door open. His feet grew a mind of their own as he automatically went straight to the familiar unit where Lance lived.

Keith had to stop and take in deep breaths as he stood in front of the closed door. He was shaking from the adrenaline and his mind was going a hundred miles per hour with images he tried to block. It didn’t make his nerves feel better and his suspended fist in the air started to shake. What if something happened to Lance?

Shit, what if he was dead?

This was not the time to let paranoia get the best of him. Keith needed to calm down so he could think.

Keith steeled himself and sent three loud knocks on the door. Soon enough, it swung open and Allura came into view, and boy did she look _terrible_. Her hair neat bun had come undone and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Like him, she was all nerves and Keith guessed that she had rushed to the door after he knocked in anticipation that maybe it was Lance.

When their eyes locked, Allura’s eyes fell sadly but she opened the door wider to let Keith in and he entered.

“Wh-What happened?” Keith’s own voice was shaking and the only other time it did was when he questioned his mother when she told him to stay in the basement while she… took care of business. “I...I didn’t read the messages from the others until after Shiro called.”

“Lance got into a brawl with an upperclassman.” Allura’s voice was quiet and hoarse from crying. “Headmaster Alfor called me and told me that, ah, what’s his name, love?” she paused to look at Shiro.

“Rolo.” Shiro frowned and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against a wall. “He and Keith go way back.”

Keith felt his hands clenched into fists and his teeth ground when anger bubbled inside him. That guy was bad news and this came from experiences. He’s seen how Rolo and his group destroyed other students’ reputations. “Yeah, I know him.”

“It appears that Lance threw the first punch.” Allura shook her head grimly. “I just don’t understand; my Lance wouldn’t do such a thing unless he’s defending himself.”

“We can’t tell because no witnesses stepped forward and there wasn’t any visual proof of what led to the fight.” Shiro said this time. “Rolo’s uncle is the president of the school and he demanded that Lance be removed from the program on the spot. Alfor’s hands are tied.” Shiro pushed off from the wall he leaned on and walked over to Allura to guide her to sit on the couch.

“This is bullshit!” Keith exclaimed in disbelief. “Lance wouldn’t do something like that unless he’s…” he paused in realization. “...provoked. Dammit! I’ll fucking kill him!” A red haze threatened to blind Keith and it was a struggle to keep his anger down. If he found out that Rolo laid a hand on Lance, Keith will personally make his life a living hell. But now was not the time for that; they had something more important to focus on and that was finding Lance.

“Keith, we’ll get to the bottom of this.” Shiro said with his brows knitted in concern.

“I know, I just---”

They were distracted when the window’s glass shook when a powerful wind blew outside. The clouds appeared dark and stormy now while thunder rolled in the distance. Shit, it looked like the weather wasn’t cooperating as well and Lance was still out there.

Keith felt angry but right now, it was mostly aimed at himself. He should have listened to Lance and he should have been there when Lance needed him the most. But what did he do? Keith yelled at him and told him to go fuck himself. He went as far as questioning Lance’s feelings for him and second guessing their relationship.

God fucking dammit, Keith felt like a fucking idiot.

“This is all my fault.” Keith told Allura achingly. His violet eyes met her blue lilac ones and held her gaze with unwavering sincerity. “I’ll go find him.”

Her own determination flooded her and she stood up; “I’ll come with you.”

“No.” Keith shook his head. “You and Shiro stay here. If Lance comes home, he needs someone to be here for him.”

“Okay.”

Keith needed to get Lance back and his mind was set on that. He walked over to where Allura sat and carefully took her hand into his, cupping it between his palms. Allura squeezed Keith’s hand back once and appreciated the support and the dedication she saw in the teen to find her son.

Without wasting another second, Keith turned around to head to the door but then Shiro’s voice stopped him;

“Hey, Keith.”

Keith stopped and turned when he was called. He was about to ask why but then he was startled when Shiro tossed the keys of the Audi to him and he caught it with one hand. He looked at Shiro with confusion in his eyes but Shiro just replied;

“Don’t use the Ducati. It’s going to rain.” Then he gave Keith a single nod of approval. “Go.”

“Be careful.” Allura followed softly.

“I’ll bring him home, Allura, I promise.” Keith said as he threw a look over his shoulder at Shiro and Allura. “Even if it’s the last thing I do.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RUn, KEEF! RUN! 
> 
> Updates will resume on January 2017!  
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS, FAM!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _One last ditch, a new beginning_  
>  So take this heart, put yourself in it  
> This surprise ending I'm depending on  
> Could be the story of another us.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> -Story of Another Us, 5 Seconds of Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year, everyone! Voltron season 2 is just days away omfg! The double update last Christmas got so many overwhelming reviews. Mostly all of you were so happy that Lance beat the crap out of Rolo. Lemme tell you, i enjoyed writing that :D thank you for that!
> 
> As I've promised with the little chapter promo in my tumblr, here is the new update to start off 2017. I hope you guys enjoy. I'm updating via mobile btw so I hope nothing glitched. Let me know what you think and again, thank you very much!

Chapter 32

 

It’s been an hour since Keith left Allura’s place and he’s been to every place he could think of where Lance could be. He first went to the Coffee Nook; he literally barged through the front door and scanned the whole place in panic. Since it was still early, there weren’t many customers and the place terribly had a lack of Lance in it. Evie and Cindy gave Keith strange looks and they glanced at each other while they shook their heads when Keith asked if Lance had been there. 

The next place he went to was the park; which was actually a pretty stupid move to make since Blue was smashed to pieces so there was no way that Lance would hang around the skateboard area of the place. But Keith had to try.

Keith went to the local library after that in hopes to find Lance hiding among the silent comfort of the towering bookshelves. He searched all seven floors of the building only to walk out of the place feeling even more distressed and empty handed. Keith looked up at the dark sky and the gray clouds loomed threateningly above him. It’s going to be even harder to look for Lance when it started pouring like a bitch. Worse, he might be forced to postpone his search but Keith wasn’t about to let that happen. 

He stomped back to the Audi and shut the door before he turned on the engine and the car purred to life. Keith wasn’t about to let the weather stop him from looking for his boyfriend; heck, the goddamn end of the world is hardly enough to stop him. As Keith gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turned white at the force of it. He glared at the chrome Audi emblem on the surface of the wheel and his thought spiraled deeper into his own guilt heavy turmoil. 

Lance was lost and because of that, Keith felt lost.

“Fuck.” Keith gritted and felt tears sting the corners of his eyes. He immediately fought them back and squeezed his eyes tightly shut while he drowned in the silence. “What have I done?”

~

The fourth floor hallway of the main building was deserted except for three people who hid inside a cramped janitor’s closet. It was stuffy and it smelled like mold and bleach but it was the most optimal base of operation for their plan. 

Pidge decided to turn to extreme measures to gather evidence. Rolo’s had connections within the school and the fact that his uncle was the president of the school was the ace in his deck. Rolo could easily have his uncle instruct the surveillance department to delete the footage or worse, manipulate it, when Takashi Shirogane and Allura ask for them. The squad wasn’t about to take any chances on that and therefore, they’ve decided to risk getting expelled by stealing the raw footage from the surveillance room.

“Are you sure about this, Shay?” Hunk stared intently into a pair of topaz eyes that he loved. “This is risky, especially that you’re a scholar. What happened to Lance might happen to you if you’re caught.” 

“I’m sure, Hunkybear. I’m not about to let Rolo and Nyma get away with what they did to Lance. If there’s something I can do to help prove Lance’s innocence, it’s this.” Shay reached up to run her fingers down Hunk’s cheek in a gentle rhythm. 

“You’re going to be okay?” Hunk became even more worried now. 

Shay then reached back and pulled up her chestnut brown hair into a tight bun against her skull. “Not to brag but I’m good at squeezing into tight spaces and my footsteps are as quiet as a kitty cat’s.” She beamed proudly at herself. “You can ask my older brother Rax. I can steal anything from the kitchen in the middle of the night without waking anyone up.”

“I’ll make sure to do so.” Hunk smiled and leaned in to press a kiss on Shay’s lips to which she responded to lovingly.

They broke apart when Pidge cleared their throat and pushed up their round spectacles. “If you two quiznaks are done being gross, let’s run the plan again.” While they talked, their fingers nimbly tapped on the keyboard of their laptop in rapid speed. “Hunk?”

“I’m the distraction.” Hunk replied with a nod and lifted to show the box of donuts he had. “I’ll get the guard out of the surveillance room for Shay to do her thing.”

Pidge nodded.  “Nice touch, Hunkin’ Donuts. Make sure to distract him for at least a good twenty minutes. I don’t care how you do it, but Shay and I will need those twenty minutes.”

Hunk saluted and Pidge turned to the youngest in their trio. “Shay?”

“I’ll sneak in there and attach your wireless thingamajiggie on the main control panel.” Shay lifted a gray square device with a red blinking light and a short usb chord. 

“It’s a skimming device.” Pidge stated the fact but nodded nonetheless. “But yeah, okay. The main control panel shouldn’t be too hard to spot. I’ll walk you through. You got your phone?”

Shay’s response was to flash her Samsung. “Right here.”

“Okay, I’ll we’ll video on skype so I can walk you through.” They paused from typing and narrowed their eyes on the screen. “And I’ll download the videos remotely.” 

The three of them shared a short moment of silence before Hunk finally looked up and placed his hand in front of him, palm down. “For Lance?”

Pidge and Shay nodded eagerly before they placed their hands on top of each other over Hunk’s and in hushed but determined voices they said in unison;

“FOR LANCE!” 

Three hands pumped thrice before they went up into the air and they all belonged to people with one goal in mind. 

“Now,” Pidge’s glasses were glazed with the glare of the laptop screen in the darkness of the janitor’s closet. “Let’s go fuck up some bitches.”

~

“Shit.” Keith hissed between clenched teeth when he got caught in a red light. He eased the car into a stop and wished that there wasn’t a car in front of him so he can go on and beat the red light. But then, he realized that that was a terrible idea because the cops will pull him over and compromise his frantic search party.

His fingers drummed against the wheel impatiently but it wasn’t doing anything to speed up traffic. Keith used this interval to focus his mind on his intended goal that was seriously starting to become hopeless. Lance was just nowhere to be found! 

Keith searched the Coffee Nook, the park, the library, every video game store and diner he could find but there was still no sign of Lance in any of them. Keith racked his mind for more places where he could look but found that there was none. 

Either Lance was abducted or Keith didn’t really know Lance well enough to know where he would go. Both of those possibilities made Keith even more sick of himself. He really felt terrible and all he wanted was to find his boyfriend so they can sort this out and bring him home.

“Dammit, Lance, where are you?” Keith pleaded in a frustrated and worried whisper. He took out his phone and hit Lance’s name on speed dial. The other end just kept ringing and ringing until it went dead. Keith pursed his lips together and hit dial again. 

Click.

“Fuck this!” Keith chucked his phone into one of the coffee holder slots on the dashboard and roughly raked his fingers through his thick raven hair in utter frustration. Trying to reach Lance via phone was hopeless; the other would either let it ring or reject the call. “Lance, where are you?”

Suddenly, Keith was distracted with a honk and he looked up to see a delivery truck drive in front of him on the cross intersection. On the side of the metal container of the truck was a sign;

 

**Angel’s Ocean Bounty.**

**Fresh Seafood Delivery.**

-Perishable goods. Pls. Do not delay- 

 

And then it hit Keith right on the mullet when Allura’s voice filled his mind from a distant memory.

_ “Lance adores the ocean.” _

When the light turned green he put the car on drive and took a left on M. Peré avenue until he made it to the outskirts of the city. And from there, he followed the train tracks to the ocean. Keith could only pray to whatever was up there that his hunch was right. 

~

Lance felt his phone vibrate in his hand again but he didn’t care that he lost count on how many times it already did after he left the school. He rested his chin on top of his knees that were bent up to his chest. His white hood was pulled up over his head and he didn’t bother to remove his uniform jacket because technically, he won’t be breaking any school rules when he wasn’t a student there anymore.

The pebbly beach looked dark and gloomy underneath the overcast sky. It was the complete opposite from the last time Lance was here; the colorful pebbles and sea glass appeared gray and dull and the waves crashed angrily against the black boulders as they beat against the shore.

And Keith wasn’t here with him. 

When Lance’s phone vibrated again, he glanced down to see Allura’s name flashing on the screen. He lifted his head along with the phone and his thumb hovered over the answer button but he hesitated to press it. Lance’s gut churned with the sick feeling he had and his chest felt like it was being swallowed by a maw of darkness. After what happened, Lance felt like he won’t be able to face Allura; he won’t be able to look his mother in the eyes while he remembered all the promises he made to her.

All those promises, all his hopes and dreams… they were bleak as the gray clouds that hung above him. 

He let the phone right and soon enough it stopped. Lance was about to keep it back into his pocket when his ringtone blared again.

**‘Mullet Calling’**

Something slithered in Lance’s gut and his chest felt like a void started to expand in him. He did the first thing that came into his defensive mind and Lance hit ‘reject’.

He finally kept his phone back into his pocket and rested his chin on his knees again while he curled tighter into himself underneath the dark shadow of the same boulder where he and sat with Keith. Lance had let his instincts carry him away but he didn’t exactly know nor understood  _ why  _ it led him to this place. 

Maybe because the café and the park were too common and he didn’t want to be found just yet? 

Or maybe he wanted to be found not just by anyone, but by someone who was the only person who knew about this secret place. Keith had been texting him for the past hour and a half but Lance didn’t bother to reply and he also ignored the calls. As much as Lance thought Keith didn’t care after yesterday’s episode, deep inside he felt that he needed him. He needed to hear his voice and he needed his touch especially during this time that Lance felt like the world had chewed him up and vomited him out. However, a part of his mind told him otherwise; he was still mad at Keith for being a selfish idiot who wouldn’t listen. 

The minutes ticked by in agonizing slowness. Lance picked up a pebble from beside him and studied the dark and damp surface as he smoothed it with his thumb. Carelessly, he chucked it towards the sea where it gave a silent plop on the dark waters. 

“Keith, you idiot!” Lance said a little too loudly but his anguished cry was lost in the thunderous beat of the waves against the sharp cliffs. 

“I know.” Came a breathless reply.

Lance froze and he felt like his heart stopped for a millisecond before it kicked up and started running a thousand miles per hour. It was hard, but he managed to tear away his tearful gaze from the ocean and slowly turned to the sound of the voice. 

Keith stood there, his dark bangs stuck on his sweat slicked forehead. His chest heaved underneath the shirt he wore while he gulped in deep breaths. He looked like he ran down from the bay walk and the winding wooden bridge on the side of the cliff that led down to the beach. 

“Lance---“ Keith began but Lance just tore his eyes away and looked the other way while he hugged himself tighter and forced himself to turn into the smallest ball he could while he wished that he could just magically poof out. 

He heard the gravel and the pebbles being crushed under heavy footsteps as Keith made his way to him and carefully sat beside him. But Lance was aware of the careful gap Keith put between them so he doesn’t overstep his boundaries. 

Keith sighed. 

“Go away, Keith.” Lance said bitterly and his words were muffled by the material of his pants as he huddled into himself. “I have nothing to say to you.” And yet, those words sounded strained when they reached Keith’s ears. It was like Lance forced them out with the lack of truth in them so Keith stayed put despite the way his throat tightened up and a sickening feeling coiled in his gut from the rejection. 

A heavy silence fell between Lance and Keith while the only sound that filled the stormy air was the sound of the waves angrily beating the shore. Thunder boomed in the distance after lightning flashed like white tendrils along the gray canvas of the sky. 

Keith knew that he had to say something. 

“Uhm, so,” he began. “Too bad that the weather’s pretty shitty for some ice cream, huh?” It was a pathetic attempt at a conversation but Keith was desperate. He made his tone light almost like he was joking but Lance didn’t say anything.

Keith bit his lower lips and racked his mind for another solution while he tried to maintain his cool within an internal meltdown. He only has one shot at this and if he fails to fix this shit he’s made, then he might lose Lance forever and that was absolutely unacceptable. If Keith loses Lance, he’ll lose his whole damn world. 

He’ll lose the only person he had ever learned to love after so long. 

“I know that I’m the world’s biggest asshole,” Keith forced out straight to the point because sugarcoating shit would only dwindle his chances. And besides, Keith wasn’t the type to bullshit. “But at least let me take you home. Everyone’s looking for you and they’re worried.” He paused thoughtfully and lifted his violet gaze from watching the dull pebbles underneath his sneakers. “Shiro’s dispatched some cops too but I wanted to get involved.” 

Keith tried to reach out but before he could even get his fingers up, Lance jumped up to his feet and dusted himself off.

“Thanks for the concern.” The emptiness in Lance’s tone was like a blade through Keith’s heart. “But I can get home on my own. Tell them I’m fine now please, leave me alone.” 

Lance turned around and started to stride away. Keith felt something in him being torn apart painfully with every step that distanced Lance away from him. Then he remembered the dream he had after they had first made love; Lance said that he would protect Keith.

He did, and what did Keith do in return?

Keith hated himself right there and then but that hatred was overpowered by the fear of losing Lance forever if he let the other walk away. 

Lance was getting further…

And further away. 

With desperation, Keith didn’t think anymore. He let his heart take over his mind and shot up to his feet. He took off and did the most powerful run of his life towards the person he couldn’t afford to lose no matter what. 

The pebbles were uneven underneath his shoes but Lance didn’t care whether he tripped; he just wanted to get away and yet, something in him begged him to stay. 

His white hood whipped and fell back from his head when a strong gust of stormy wind blew down on him. The waves became angrier and Lance knew that it was going to rain soon but he forced himself to keep on walking. He wanted to make up with Keith and come home to Allura, but the shame of losing his scholarship made him feel like a worthless failure that he couldn’t even bear to see his own reflection.

A drop of water plopped on the lens of his glasses, then another, and then another. Soon, it began to pour heavily from the gray heavens and Lance reached back to pull up his hood over his head once again while the rest of his clothes became soaked. He didn’t care if he came down with a cold; there wasn’t a point in missing class anymore. 

Too lost in his thoughts, Lance didn’t notice the frantic footsteps that rushed behind him until he felt a powerful force that slammed against his back and he froze when Keith’s arms came around him in a tight and desperate embrace. 

The raindrops were freezing cold against his skin but Lance felt hot ones trickle down his nape where Keith buried his face.

Tears.

“Please don’t do this, Lance.” Keith’s voice was trembling with emotion. “Please don’t walk away from us. I’m an idiot and I deserve it that you’re angry but I’ll be a better person.” He made a choked and broken sound and Lance felt his heart break. 

“Keith, let me go.”

“No!” Keith protested, trembling. “Never!”

Lance felt the arms around him clung tighter in desperation. “I love you, Lance. I love you so much!”

“Keith…” Lance felt his heart swell.

More tears came and Lance felt his own fall from his eyes and disappeared among the raindrops on his face. “Please, Lance, don’t do this…Don’t leave me.” A sob. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, sorry.” 

The blooming feeling Lance felt made his heart burst with all the emotions that he had been holding back. His fingers twitched and then he reached up to hold Keith’s hands that gripped his shirt and gently pried them off. 

“L-Lance, wait, no---“ Keith began but Lance finally turned around to face him and he leaned in to stop Keith’s words with his lips. 

Their kiss was tender and it tasted like tears, rain, and the salt of the ocean wind. But in that moment, the whole universe stopped and when it started to turn, it did so very slowly with Lance and Keith as its center. Keith’s hands reached up and locked around Lance’s neck like he held on for dear life while Lance’s wrapped around the other’s waist. 

When they broke off, they looked into each other’s eyes through the thin sheet of rain that fell on them. Lance’s hand trailed up and pressed against Keith’s wet cheek while his thumb brushed away traces of tears and rain that trickled. 

“I-I….” Keith whispered, pleading. His eyes were wide violet pools and his breaths came in short soft gasps from the breathlessness of their kiss. 

“Yeah, you’re forgiven. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re so ugly when you cry.” Lance teased softly but his eyes mirrored the same tender emotion that was in Keith’s. “And your mullet looks stupid when it’s wet and flat.”

“O-Oh, yeah?” Keith smiled through the tears and he reached up to wipe them away with the back of his hand. “Well, kiss my twenty-twenty vision’s ass, nerd.” 

That made Lance chuckle and Keith leaned in to press his forehead against his. “Hey, I thought you were asking for my forgiveness?”

“I was but you had to go be a fucking jackass and insult my manly tears.” 

“Seriously, though?”

“Seriously.” Keith nodded. “I really am sorry. I missed you so much and I thought I was going to lose my mind when Shiro called to tell me you were missing.” He paused. “Allura… she was crying.”

The smile Lance wore suddenly faded and his eyes grew sad with guilt. “Oh.” he realized that in a way, he had been selfish and worried everyone but the shame continued to burn in him that made him afraid to face his mother. He knew Allura would be disappointed and that was something Lance didn’t want to happen but would most likely be. 

“I guess you know by now, huh?” his head hung low and he stepped back a bit from Keith. “That I’m a failure.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Keith cocked his head to the side in confusion. He slightly flared his arms in exaggeration when he said; “You punched Rolo on the face! His nose got so fucked up that the school nurse had to send him to the ER! How does that make you a failure?” Keith grinned and planted his hands on his hips. “If you ask me, I’m pretty damn proud of you.” The grin then turned into a sly smirk. “And here I thought my baby was an innocent ocean child.”

“But I got the boot---“ Lance began but Keith shook his head to cut him off and he closed the distance between the two of them again.

“So what?” Keith said. “Does a scholarship for a school with shitty politics really measure you as a person? You know you’re innocent and we’re going to prove that.”

“How?” Lance’s eyes widened. “Our class president said there were no cameras on the hallway where my locker is.”

“I know.” Keith replied. “But we’re going to leave that to Pidge and the others.”  If Pidge’s plan went smoothly, Shay’s probably made it past security, got what they needed from the surveillance room and they’ve probably scrammed out of there.

“What are you talking about?” Lance looked utterly confused now. “What did the squad do?”

“Risked their asses for you.” Keith’s reply made the confusion in Lance’s eyes transform into wide eyed shock. He was about to say something but Lance was interrupted when he sneezed and that made Keith frown; “Come on, you’ll catch a cold. I brought the car.”

“Won’t Shiro get pissed that we’re both wet?” 

“Nah.” Keith snorted in disbelief. “Believe me, wet upholstery is the least of Shiro’s concerns right now.”

“I…I’m not sure.” Lance’s shoulder slumped. “I don’t know how I can face mom after what happened. All I wanted was to be successful and pay her back for her countless sacrifices for me.” His voice cracked with the tears trapped in his throat. “But now, I can’t anymore.”

“Lance.” Keith’s voice was gentle. “Allura loves you no matter what. Believe me,” The look in his eyes became mellow with memory. “I know a mom’s love when I see one.” he held out his hand in invitation towards Lance;

“Let’s go home.”

Lance’s took Keith’s hand and their fingers intertwined. “Okay.”

~

Lance squeezed Keith’s hand as they stood in front of his apartment door and Keith squeezed back in return. He looked over to the raven haired teen who stood firmly beside him and Keith motioned towards the door;

“Go on, baby.”

Lance gulped and reached towards the knob with trembling fingers. He was wet and freezing but his hand shook with fear of what was waiting for him on the other side. But then, his heart gave a hard kick against his ribs when Keith reached out with him and their hands rested on the door knob.

There was a pause and an exchange of small smiles before Lance and Keith turned the knob together and pushed the door open. 

Allura was curled up in the couch, her stocking clad legs tucked underneath her. She rested her head on Shiro’s strong chest while his arms enveloped around her protectively, his fingers tangled in the silver and black curtain of her hair. Her eyes were sleepy and her lids flickered between giving into exhaustion and wakefulness. 

Shiro’s eyes were closed but his hand on her hair moved to pet Allura’s back in a loving rhythm meant to comfort her which meant that he was just resting and not asleep. He leaned back against the couch and his head leaned to the side with his cheek pressed against the top of Allura’s head. The two of them looked like they came from work but they were disheveled; Shiro’s shirt was wrinkled and strained with Allura’s tears. His tie was pulled down from his neck and the first two buttons were undone to expose his throat. Allura looked worse; her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her hair was a wild tumble of ombre chaos down her back. 

The loud creak of the door jolted Shiro into alertness and in turn, Allura did the same. They turned to look at the doorway and a pair of blue eyes that matched Lance’s locked with his.

“Hi, mom.” Lance gave a little wave with his free hand while his other gripped on Keith’s like he was holding on for dear life. “Hi, Shiro.” 

“Lance!” Allura exclaimed and the next thing Lance knew, his mother was up on her feet and she rushed towards him. Lance felt Keith let go of his hand just as Allura crashed into him and pulled him in a tight embrace. Mother and son sank to the wooden floorboard and Lance felt tears fall from his eyes again as he buried his face into his mother’s neck. 

“Mom, I’m sorry.” He said in a tone thick with tears. “I’m sorry for losing the scholarship. I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m sorry… I failed, mom, I failed.”

But Allura shook her head and her voice was just as tearful as Lance’s. “There is nothing to forgive, sweetheart. What matters is that you’re okay.”

“Don’t you think I’m a failure?” Lance lifted his head and Allura placed her hands on either side of his face. 

“Of course not.” His mother replied. “A little set back like this will never make me see you in a different light. Besides, you did the right thing and stood up for yourself. That son of a bitch deserved it.”

“Oh my god, mom!” Lance’s teary eyes went wide. “Did you just…”

“Damn right, I did.” Allura nodded eagerly. “And if that school doesn’t know how to value its students and decides to turn to connections and a blind eye towards evidence, then you’re better off not going there.”

“But…!” 

“Success is not defined by the prestige of the school you went to, how high paying your future job is, the house you live in, or the car you drive, Lance.” Shiro crouched beside Lance and Allura and placed a hand on top of Lance’s head to gently ruffle his damp locks. “It’s the happiness you gain from the path you took and the choices you made for yourself.” Lance felt his heart fill up at the smile Shiro gave him and the gentleness in his dark eyes that oddly looked sad. “Believe me,  _ I _ know.” 

“Shiro’s right.” Allura nodded. “You stood up for what was right, Lance, and you placed your friends and Keith before yourself. For me, that’s something to be proud of and I’m sure that I raised you right.”

“I’m proud of you too, Lance.” Shiro said and the affirmation he gave made Lance’s heart burst with emotion and he nodded eagerly while he choked back the sobs that filled his throat. His heart sped up when Shiro encased both Allura and Lance in his protective embrace. 

“Keith, what the hell are you doing there?” Shiro asked and Keith gave him a funny look as he pushed off from the door where he leaned. “Watching a sappy group hu---Whoah!” Shiro pulled him into the hug and he was crushed against Lance who snuggled into his damp neck. 

Lance melted into the warmth of Shiro’s embrace and blushed at the lovely little kisses Allura planted on his temple. But when he looked into the violet depths of Keith’s eyes and saw the love in them, that was how Lance knew that he was finally home. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunkin Donuts idea by sir schneeflocke omfg


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's so happy that Lance is home and the comments were all so lovely, thank you very much! But uh, here's the thing... the intensity's about to rise some more. Why? Because we have now reached the climax chapters! *fanfare*
> 
> Warnings: Implied illegal acts (property damage) You have been dutifully warned.

Chapter 33

Allura laid awake in the darkness of her room. Beside her, the bed was dipped with a masculine weight and Shiro’s strong but peaceful presence while he slept was welcomed. This wasn’t the first time that the two of them shared a bed but it was definitely the first time Allura’s had someone sleep with her in her _own_ bed.

Carefully, she turned around and the moment she did, Shiro’s arms automatically opened when she came to face him. In the dimness of lamppost that illuminated through the curtain, Allura watched as shadows danced around Shiro’s sharp and handsome features. Her breath caught in her throat when those dark lashes slowly opened and she found herself staring into his obsidian eyes.

“Can’t sleep?” Shiro asked and he pulled her to him protectively, one of his hands resting on the small of her back.

“Yes.” Allura admitted and buried her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. She inhaled his clean scent; soap and faded cologne, and she felt her nerves turn to butter when Shiro nuzzled her, his rough stubble grazing against her dark skin.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly when he planted a tender kiss on her lips.

“It’s Lance.” Allura replied and Shiro pulled back a bit when she did. “I’m worried about him. What if we can’t get our hands on evidence?”

“If you’re worried about paying for regular tuition, then don’t.” Shiro said. “If Lance still wants to stay in Altea without a scholarship, I can sponsor his educa---“

“No!” Allura protested and completely pulled back. She pushed off from the pillow and sat up while hand pulled up the blanket to cover her bare chest.

“Allura, I’m okay with it.”

But Allura just shook her head. “Shiro, love,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “Your heart is golden and I love you for that. But I will not impose on you like this. You’ve already done so much for us… for me.”

“I’m more than willing to pitch in, you know.” Shiro said. “And before you say it, no, it won’t compromise Keith’s schooling. I can send the both of them. It won’t take long anyway; they’re both going to be in the final year soon.”

“Lance is my son and he is my responsibility as much as he is my heart. I want to give him only the best.” Allura replied with a heavy sigh. “I don’t want you to feel responsible for him. You’re a busy man, love; you run a company, your mother keeps an eagle’s eye on you, you have a year of guardianship left with Keith… I… I can’t just put another burden on you.” Her eyes were filled with determination, but there is also the second guessing doubt that mixed in.

“I can do this.” She muttered. “I’ve always made it through on my own since I was forced to left home. I can do this too. I can….I can carry any burden. I have to be strong… I have to be strong for Lance.”

Shiro studied Allura with enigmatic eyes and he saw turmoil in them. Her fiery drive the rooted from her love for her son is admirable as ever, but she’s only human and she suffered too. Shiro just couldn’t let her stand alone. Then, he sat up as well and reached to brush away the rogue tendril of hair from her face.

“What if,” he began carefully and his tone was soft but it had an edge of determination similar to Allura’s. “What if I told you that you don’t have to bear the burden on your own?” his fingers trailed down to touch the amethyst pendant that hung around Allura’s neck. “What if…” Shiro trailed off.

“If…?” Confusion.

Shiro made the decision. He didn’t care if this wasn’t the place or the circumstance to _ask_ it, Allura has to know how he truly felt and what he’s willing to do for her.

“What if I told you that I love you so much to the point that I am willing to stay by your side for the rest of my life? Would you let me, Allura?”

The underlying meaning in Shiro’s words made Allura’s eyes widen with shock but her heart exploded with so much love. They weren’t the exact words Allura’s always dreamed on hearing, but it this was a hell lot better than those generic four words that from the novels she read or the romantic movies she watched.

“Of course.” Allura replied and her eyes shone with love in them as they held Shiro’s gaze. “Of course, Shiro, yes.”

“Oh god.” Shiro breathed and closed his eyes as he sighed in relief. “Oh my god, Allura. You’ve made me the happiest man alive right now. I might just throw myself into space or something.”

That made Allura laugh and as Shiro watched the way her hair was a fluffy mess, noticed the way her eyes shone, the ways her voice sounded husky with sleep, and the way her naked skin illuminated in the dimness. Allura was the most beautiful woman in the whole universe.

“Don’t do that now,” She was so happy. “You’re still naked.”

“Lucky for you, it’s for your eyes only.” Shiro grinned and Allura playfully slapped his shoulder. He leaned in pressed a deep kiss on those plump lips of hers and Allura returned the kiss lovingly.

“So,” Shiro breathed when they broke apart for air and stared deep into her blue lilac eyes. “Do you want to pick out your ring in the morning or do you want it to be a surprise?”

Allura paused and let a moment of silence pass between them. Then, she reached up and caressed his cheek gently with the tips of her fingers. “This has been passed down your family and your grandmother handed it down to you, right?” She carefully touched the amethyst pendant that hung on the elegant white gold chain around her neck.

“Yes.”

“Then, what would I need a ring for? You’ve already given me so much.” Allura smiled. “Besides, I’ve never been a fan of them.”

“You’re sure?”

Allura nodded eagerly and her silvery black curls swayed down her back when she did. “One hundred and fifty percent sure.”

Shiro smiled at her before he brushed his thumb over her cheek. “One down, one to go.”

This time, Allura’s brows bunched over her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Shiro leaned in to once again press a kiss on her lips then he grinned nervously. “As per Keith’s advice, I’d want to ask Lance if he would like to have a dad.”

Allura’s heart burst with pure joy.

~

“Guys, I made us a pot of coffee.” Shay pushed the door to Pidge’s room and walked over to the computer station set up in the corner of the room. She set the tray with the four mugs and a plate of peanut butter sandwiches. Pidge was hunched over their leather office chair with their eyes focused behind glazed glasses and their fingers typed rapidly on the keyboard.

Hunk sat cross legged on the floor with Pidge’s laptop while he reviewed the footage that they were able to salvage. Earlier, Shay and Pidge were able to steal the archive files from the last seventy two hours and that was enough to cover the two incidents if ever they chanced upon any suspicious activity from Nyma and Rolo.

“I can’t believe we’re stealing.” Hunk made a small sound of discomfort. His brown eyes suddenly turned big and innocent with fear.

“Well, I can’t believe they framed Lance.” Shay crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced at the digital wall clock beside Pidge’s bed and the big red numbers read 12:30 AM. “I’m going to miss school for this tomorrow if it helps. The management won’t admit to anything with Rolo’s uncle seated on the top. Even if Headmaster Alfor appeals to it, we can’t win against dirty politics.”

“Wow, Shay.” Hunk gaped at his girlfriend. “I think you’re reading too many dystopian novels.”

“ _Puh-lease_ ,” the shorter girl briefly rolled her topaz eyes and handed Hunk a mug of coffee. “One can never ‘read too much’, that’s preposterous!”

“Shay’s right, Hunk.” Pidge intervened this time while they read through the hack codes they typed in. They dealt with the task of trying to pin point any information from the number. “You’re classmates with Rolo and Nyma so you should have more idea of what they’re really like.”

“They’re horrible people, that’s for sure.” Hunk’s eyebrows bunched up over his eyes while he carefully skimmed through the footage. “I’m actually skipping the senior class trip because they’re coming along.”

“But that’s a ski trip, isn’t it?” Pidge looked up from their screen over at Hunk. “You were excited to go.”

“Yeah, well screw that now.” Hunk frowned and paused to take a sip from the mug of coffee Shay made. “I won’t enjoy it if they’re coming along. And after they framed Lance, all I want is to stick their heads in a microwave and turn it up on high.” He gave a soft ‘hmpf’ and caught a small smile grace Shay’s lips when she looked at him. “I don’t like the cold anyway. And besides, a trip won’t be fun without you guys.”

“Aw.” Shay breathed while she stirred her drink. “You’re so sweet.”

“Not as sweet as you.”

Pidge groaned. “Guys, please, not in my room.”

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, Shay.” Hunk grinned and continued to tease while Shay played along.

“I can kiss you forever and ever and ever!” Shay smacked her lips together and made kissing noise that made Pidge groan louder like a dying whale.

Hunk and Shay chuckled at Pidge’s hilarious reaction to romance. They got back to their task and fell into the rhythm of focus while they worked. Suddenly, they were bothered by the cry of a revving motorcycle engine from the distance.

“I thought Lance was the show off?” Hunk asked curiously.

“Yeah, well, it appears that Keith likes to announce his arrival too.” Pidge shrugged. “No wonder those two are perfect for each other.” They looked over their shoulder to glance at Hunk’s girlfriend. “Shay, do you mind letting Keith to make sure the defense system I installed doesn’t shoot him on the spot? Oh, and make sure Rover doesn’t get out of the house.”

“Not at all, Pidge.” Shay smiled and got up to her feet after she placed down her mug on a table. “Hold on.” Shay disappeared when she stepped out into the hallway. A few moments later, that door opened and Shay reappeared followed by Keith.

“So,” he asked and nodded in thanks when Shay handed him a mug of coffee. “Did you guys get anything that would give me an excuse to send Rolo and Nyma to hell?”

“None yet as of now.” Pidge replied. “I’m trying to hack through and pinpoint a lead from the anonymous number but this software is giving me a shit ton of trouble.” They paused and studied Keith then added; “Lance?”

“I found him and took him home.” Keith’s expression softened at the mention of Lance. “He’s okay. He’s asleep already.” He turned to Hunk this time. “How’s it going on your part, buddy?”

“Nothing on the footage yet.” Hunk followed but then his features lit up. “Buuuut, I’ve confirmed that the detention prefect and the school nurse are sooooo _getting it on_.” He pointed at the screen. “Note to self, NEVER go into the supplies closet at the third floor during lunch unless you want your eyes to bleed.”

“Oh, gross.” Shay cringed while Keith gave Hunk a look of disbelief.

“Hey,” Hunk raised his arms in surrender. “I’m just giving you all a fair warning!”

“Anyway,” Pidge sighed and quirked a questioning brow at Hunk who shrunk and went back to his task. “I’m trying to work around this thing but it keeps asking for a modified access code that I’d have to purchase and I’m out of bitcoins until my parents give me my allowance next week.”

“Shit, we don’t have that much time—“ Keith fell into a quiet and stared at Pidge. “Just a sec…” he then took out his phone and hit speed dial. “Hey, Shiro?”

Their conversation had been brief but they all noticed how Keith gained back a look of confidence and he grinned when he muttered a quick thanks. “Alright, let me get on there for a bit.” He went over to Pidge and they scooted over to let Keith take over for a moment. After Keith typed in something, Pidge’s account suddenly blossomed with currency.

“How… the fuck?” Pidge gaped in shock. “Did you just… converted a thousand bucks for bitcoins?!”

Keith shrugged. “It’s nothing. You can keep the change too, if you want.”

“Well, holy dang diggity shit. Thanks, Keith!”

Pidge started to type rapidly again to purchase even more illegal software anonymously. Keith leaned against a wall and watched Pidge work while his fingers tapped restlessly on the side of his hip while his other hand held onto his coffee mug. Then, Shay spoke up;

“Hey, Keith?”

“Yeah?” Keith turned to look at her.

“May I ask you something?” Shay’s fingers wrapped tightly around her mug and Hunk paused what he was doing to look at the two of them.

“Sure.” Keith nodded. “What’s up?”

The girl was quiet for a moment and Hunk reached to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear in silent encouragement. Shay smiled at him then turned her attention back to Keith.

“If you don’t mind answering,” she began. “Why do you call your dad by his first name?”

“Oh.”

An awkward silence fell into the room and Pidge stopped typing too. Keith understood that one of these days, his friends are bound to notice but since he’s become a part of this tightly knitted group, he didn’t mind at all.

“It’s cool, Shay, I don’t mind.” Keith replied with a small smile but his eyes were cast down to the floor. “Shiro isn’t my real dad. I see him more as a legal guardian rather than a father figure.”

Shay’s eyes widened while her hand lifted to cover her gaping mouth and Keith just nodded. “My real parents are dead. Shiro’s close with them so he took me in and made sure I didn’t get passed around and end up in God-knows where.”

Especially with Kimiko around; that bitch wasn’t happy with the news that Shiro took him in back then. She tried her hand to pry Keith away so Shiro won’t be distracted with _petty_  matters but Shiro’s always made sure that didn’t happen.

“He didn’t adopt you?” Pidge asked this time and Keith shook his head.

“No. I didn’t want that kind of arrangement. I couldn’t give that kind of bond to anyone else because it’s all I have left of my parents; that they’re my only mom and dad.”

“Oh, wow.” Hunk breathed then he flushed a deep red and covered his face to hide his embarrassment. Losing Keith’s parents took a heavy toll on him that prevented him from developing any feelings of considering Takashi Shirogane as a father figure. “Wow, man, just… wow. This clears up so much for me.”

“Huh?” Keith frowned but Hunk shook his head and mumbled something incoherent while Shay patted his back.

“Hunk’s worried you won’t be able to marry Lance someday if Shiro and Allura end up together since you’ll be step-brothers and all.” Pidge voiced out Hunk’s thoughts.

Keith choked on his coffee and his face turned even redder than Hunk’s while Pidge smirked.

“There’s an idea.” They winked at Keith and resumed typing.

“Guys, seriously!” Keith blurted out. “That’s… I.. we…”

“Oh, but don’t you call Lance ‘Wifey’?” Shay asked while she feigned innocence when she smiled while Hunk snorted in amusement. “So, we assumed---“

“He told you that too?!” Keith demanded, his face exploding with heat from being flustered. “That little shit, I ougtha…”

“I’m **in**.”

The seriousness of Pidge’s voice instantly snapped everyone back into focus. “I got a lead.” With that, Shay, Keith, and Hunk went over to where they were and hovered behind Pidge to get a better look of the screen.

“The last text from the anon was the smiley face before Lance found out that his skateboard was destroyed that afternoon.” Pidge began. They hovered the mouse over the ‘track’ button and the software zoomed in a map of the city. A few more clicks and it zoomed in even more until it settled into one place.

Altea Prep Academy.

The anon was at the school when they sent the text so they’re either a student, staff, or professor.  

“Wait a second,” Hunk muttered and rushed back to his station. “I vaguely remember Nyma, Rolo, and Reedus being absent during a morning class.” Of course, those three always got away with what they wanted because of their ties to top management. He hovered the mouse and toggled the time on the video while before he streamed the footage in a live feed so it would show up on Pidge’s screen.

There it was.

It was in grayscale and the pixels were a bit blurry but they could all identify that the camera that captured it was the new one that was installed at the back of the school by the equipment shed.

Nyma was there with Reedus  and she sat crossed legged on a container box. She was scrolling on her phone, looking really bored. Then, Nyma stood up and kept her phone in her pocket just as Rolo appeared into the frame, skating on Lance’s board.

He stopped and stepped off Blue to received Nyma in his arms when she stepped forward and placed a kiss on his mouth. After that, she stepped back and Rolo motioned towards Reedus who went to the metal equipment box Nyma was just sitting on.

Keith’s gut tightened when Reedus pulled out a sledge hammer and handed it to Rolo. Shay had to look away when Rolo landed the first destructive blow and Hunk was immediately by her side. He wrapped her arms tightly around him while his hands smoothed down her back. Pidge’s hands curled into fists over the keyboard and they gritted their teeth in anger and frustration.

But Keith…

Keith was calm.

His nostrils flared with the heavy breaths he heaved in in an effort to remain calm and not burst out like he did before with Lance. He knew better and like Shiro said, he needed to remain that way so he could think.

When it was all over, Pidge hit pause and removed their glasses. Their hands covered their face and muffled their anguished scream.

“Fuck!” They said. “Fuck this, fuck them! They’re a bunch of pussy assed bitches and I want nothing right now than to undo Rolo’s nose stitches with my fists!”

“Pidge, calm down…” Hunk said softly.

“Calm down?” Pidge demanded angrily. “Did you see that? That was Blue. That was Blue that Lance’s mom got him for his fifteenth birthday! Remember when he showed it to us? Do you remember how Lance looked like the happiest motherfucker in the whole wide world?” They jabbed a finger at the screen.

“I’ll buy a necromancy book online and open a goddamn portal to hell so I can throw their pathetic asses in! Property damage is a grave offense; if there’s anyone who should be kicked out, it’s _them_ and not Lance!”

“I know, I know.” Hunk’s face settled into a scowl and his eyes turned grim. “At least we have proof that Rolo and his gang did it. I think that’s enough to prove Lance’s innocence. All we have to do is think of an excuse on how we got this footage without compromising ourselves. We did steal this, after all.”

“Leave that to me.” Keith said now, his tone low and sure but his eyes were dark.

“How?” Pidge asked.

“I used to be in Rolo’s group, remember?” Keith replied. “I know how to shut him up. I’ll pay his uncle a little visit tomorrow.”

Shay spoke up now; “We can’t prove the other one, though.”

Cold air filled the room and a chill ran down her spine when her eyes locked with Keith’s eerie violet ones.

“What _other one_?” he asked.

Shay gulped and it was Hunk who spoke up this time; “Lance didn’t tell you?”

“No.” Keith huffed a sigh and planted his hands on his hips as he contemplated. “Lance and I… had a fight. I didn’t go to school because I was trying to avoid him. I was really pissed so I said…things.”

Pidge scowled at him but Keith held their death glare without flinching. “But we’re okay now. I apologized and we worked it out.”

“Damn right you should.” Pidge muttered. They slid their glasses back on their face and chewed on their lower lip. When they started to taste blood from it and Keith cleared his throat impatiently, they said;

“Rolo said that Lance is only dating your for sexual favors so you’d give him whatever he wanted. Then that son of a bitch put his filthy hand on Lance… where it _shouldn’t_ be, that is.”

The words from Keith dripped with poison and rage. _“What?”_

“Rolo also called Lance a slut.” Shay followed. “Then Lance just… snapped.”

“I see.” The words were quiet and Keith pushed off from where he leaned against Pidge’s desk. Wordlessly, they watched as he started to walk around Pidge’s room while he studied the gadgets, books, awards, and various odd knickknacks displayed on the shelves.

When he reached Pidge’s bed, he stopped and reached behind the headboard to grasp a dusty handle that protruded before he pulled it out.

“Hey, Pidge.” Keith said after a long moment of silence and he studied the metal bat he held. “So you play baseball?”

“I used to.” The other nodded. “I was in the little league the Matt helped coach when he wasn’t too busy with his pre-med studies.” They paused and cocked their head to the side, curious. “Why do you ask?”

Keith didn’t answer and tested his grip on the handle of the bat. He gave an experimental swing and the metal whistled as it sliced through the air. “Do you mind if I borrow this?”

“No.” Pidge narrowed their eyes at him suspiciously. “Not at all.”

Keith then turned to Hunk who was watching him with wide brown eyes that looked worried. “Hunk, do you know if Rolo was brought home by an ambulance after he got patched up at the hospital?”

“Yeah.” Hunk nodded. “From what I’ve heard, that’s what happened. Or maybe someone picked him up and brought him home.”

“Either way,” Keith took a moment to run the tip of his finger down the smooth shaft of the bat. “That means the Rolls Royce is at school.”

Then, it dawned to them and Hunk started to panic along with Shay who was gaping in shock.

“Oh, no.. no, no, no, no,…” Black hair swished when Hunk shook his head, looking terrified. “Keith, I want you to think about what you’re doing.”

“I’ve thought about it.” Keith replied.

“But Keith,” Shay said this time. “We already have proof to put Rolo and Nyma on the spot. You don’t have to go the extra mile and ruin his car. You won’t be any different from him!”

Keith watched Shay for a second and noted that she did have a point. “You’re right, Shay.” Then, Keith’s eyes darkened with a shadow that made them look like sharp, jagged blades.

“Sure, we have a card that would turn the tables to our favor, but this…” his voice dropped into a deadly whisper. “…Is personal payback.”

Because _no one_ touches Lance like that and gets away with it. Not when Keith is around.

Without another word, Keith turned around and headed to the door. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

 “Keith, wait!” Pidge got up from their chair and retrieved a small square circuit device from one of their shelves. When they tossed it to Keith, the other caught it with ease. “Lucky for you, the electric room isn’t far from the parking lot. Plug that in the fuse box and it will jam the power.” They pushed their glasses up the bridge of their nose.

“According to my observation during power outages in the school,” they continued. “The back-up generators will turn back on and the CCTVs will go live. You have about five to ten minutes before that happens.”

“That’s all I need.” Keith nodded with a small smirk. “Thanks for the lucky charm, Pidge.”

“Keith, you might get caught.” Hunk looked very concerned. “Who knows what would happen!”

With his hand on the knob of the door, Keith pushed it open, while his other hand held the bat that was rested on his shoulder. “I’ll take my chances.”

~

It was already very late but the madam’s sleeping schedule is strange and inconsistent. Therefore, Fuyumi didn’t sleep until after Kimiko did so that she would be present and ready if ever she summoned her.

Her pale, slender fingers gripped the wooden tray pressed tightly against her lap as while Fuyumi kept her head humbly bowed.

“Fuyumi, I discovered something today.” Kimiko’s bony fingers carefully lifted the tea cup to her lips. She blew one and inhaled to savor the aroma of the tea. “Would you like to know?”

“I am most interested, madam.” Fuyumi replied softly. She waited in cold sweat while Kimiko took her time to sip her tea. When she lowered the cup back to its saucer, she spoke again;

“According to my sources, Allura’s son, Ah, Lance, is it?”

Fuyumi nodded silently.

“Yes, Lance.” Kimiko’s tone held disinterest as the name slid down her tongue. “The boy seems to be no different from that urchin Takashi had taken under his wing.” Kimiko laced her fingers over her the smooth material of her satin robe. “It appears that the boy got started a fight and lost his scholarship.”

Something churned in Fuyumi’s stomach and she felt sick. Ms. Allura’s son? Really? She didn't have the chance to meet the young man but with the way Allura, Keith, and master Takashi spoke highly of him, Fuyumi found it hard to believe that Lance was the devious kind.

“W-With…” Fuyumi forced out her voice. “… Ms. Allura’s salary even as the master’s secretary, she won’t be able to afford to send her son to a school as prestigious as Altea.”

“Exactly.” A smirk lifted Kimiko’s pale lips, unpainted with its usual crimson. Her dark eyes that were sharp as broken glass bored deep into Fuyumi’s soft ones. “That is why I am going to lend Allura a helping hand. The poor boy surely deserves a quality education from one of the best academies in the country, does he not?”

Fuyumi had a bad feeling about this because a bloodthirsty matriarch such as Kimiko Shirogane will never lend a ‘helping hand’. There was a catch to this, of course, because that was how a business tycoon like her worked; nothing is for free.

“How would you do that, madam?” Fuyumi asked as she lifted her head a bit more and her nails stung when she gripped the tray tighter.

Kimiko stood up from the couch and walked to the window to watch the glittering city lights from her top floor suite. Fuyumi’s blood ran cold in shock and fear when she realized what her mistress was about to do.

“An offer, my dear girl.” She replied with an eerie smile. “One a mother cannot possibly refuse.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that there are better and more reasonable ways to get back at someone...
> 
> But c'mon, this is Keith we're talking about. 
> 
> ***
> 
> PSA: I'm going to take a break from Taking Chances to work on my fic for the first annual Voltron General Big Bang. Thank you for all of your love, kind consideration, and support!


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't pass up the chance to update because I love this story but I'm steadily working on the bb fic too. Thank you very much for all the lovely comments from the last chapter. I'm really happy that the space parents are engaged too! Due to popular demand, here's Keef trashing Rolo's car and some more shit hitting the fan.
> 
> Fan art by the lovely forsakenangel88! Check out her tumblr blog, her art style is lovely!
> 
>  
> 
> [Klance first date, Chapter 19](http://forsakenangel88-art.tumblr.com/post/155062676190/first-give-away-prize-for-the)  
>   
> [Shallura](http://forsakenangel88.tumblr.com/post/155889667738/the-second-part-of-the-first-prize-for)  
> 

Chapter 34

The early morning air was cold and Lance curled up underneath his blanket. His toes dug into the softness of his sheets and he nuzzled the pillow that he hugged. What time was it? Was it Saturday? No, he was pretty sure it was Friday.

Lance wished it was so that he could sleep in for the day. Suddenly his alarm blared from his phone that was on the night stand and Lance groaned. He reached to the side and slapped the snooze button on the screen of the phone which immediately stopped the blasting music.

“Keith?” Lance muttered but then the mattress dipped when someone moved beside him. Those blue eyes snapped open as dark brown lashes fluttered. Keith’s arms encircled him his fingers slipped up Lance’s shirt and pressed against the naked skin of his navel. Lance felt warmth bloom in his chest and butterflies fluttered in his stomach as Keith played the big spoon. He pressed soft little kisses on Lance’s nape before he nuzzled the sensitive spot at the base of it.

“Hm?” Keith finally hummed and Lance didn’t say anything for a little while. When Keith didn’t move, Lance assumed that he fell back asleep.

“Keith.”

“What?” Keith mumbled incoherently, half asleep.

“You’ll be late for school.” Lance’s voice was just as sleepy but his mind was up and running now.

“Mmhmm… don’t care. I love you.” Lance felt his heart thump against the wall of his chest when Keith pressed his lips on his nape again and his fingers caressed Lance’s stomach, crawling lower… and lower.

“A-Ah, Keith…” Lance breathed and but his body bucked towards Keith’s touch, his erection jutting. “I-I love you too but it’s 6:00; you’ll be late.”

“So?” Lance felt Keith’s lips against his nape curl up into a Cheshire cat smile. “Give me a few minutes. We’ll just take care of business.”

Every muscle in Lance’s body tightened and his breathing started to come out in pants as Keith planted wet kisses on his shoulders and trailed his lips up the crook of Lance’s neck to suck on a sensitive spot there. But when Keith’s other hand moved to the front and brushed against Lance’s skin, those blue eyes lost the sexual haze in them when he felt something…off.

“What the---“ Lance muttered and took Keith’s hand into his own. When he looked down, he discovered the reason why Keith’s hand felt rough.

Keith’s palm had a gauze that was held in place with white medical tape. There were traces of dried blood in the center along with the yellowish smear of iodine solution.

“What happened to your hand?” Lance sat up and turned to finally face Keith who looked up at him with wide violet eyes. Lance’s frown became deeper when he caught Keith bite his lower lip and his gaze flitted around the room as if he was looking for a way out.

“Keith, baby,” despite the endearment, Lance’s tone was stern and clearly upset that Keith was hurt. “What happened?”

“Uhhh---“ Keith began. In his mind, the events that occurred a couple of hours ago flashed like a soundless movie.

_Keith scaled the fence that surrounded Altea’s parking lot like he’s done a thousand times in the past. He picked up the bat from the ground which he had thrown in prior to climbing the fence so that his hands were free._

_The place was deserted and the school’s main building looked almost eerie with its gothic marble design. But Keith knew better than to let his guard down because despite the absence of human eyes to witness his deed, the place was infested with cameras. Luckily, Keith knew the position of each one from his rogue days of avoiding them so he can ditch school._

_Keith reached back to gather his hair and tied it with an elastic that hung on his wrist. Finally, he pulled up the dark red bandana around his neck to obscure his identity before he went to work. Like Pidge said, the electric shed was easy to locate and it was near the parking lot which would save Keith from a long trip and a poor chance to escape. He turned the knob and his eyes narrowed when he found out that it was locked._

_He took Pidge’s bat and gripped it tightly with both hands. After he calculated his aim and the force of the swing, Keith broke the knob when he brought the bat down and without a single regard for the poor door, Keith kicked it open._

_“Hmm, let’s see… fuse box, fuse box, fuse box.” Keith’s eyes scanned the rows of generators and high voltage wires behind safety boxes made out of glass. He walked around while his gaze swept across the spacious shed and soon enough, he found what Pidge was talking about. Keith opened it and took out Pidge’s jamming device from his pocket. When he plugged it in, there was a high pitched whirring sound before the power died down. In the darkness, bright red digital numbers appeared on top of the main backup generator;_

_10:00_

_9:59_

_9:58_

_As the digits started to count down until back power was restored, Keith rushed out of the shed and strode to the parking lot. Rolo’s Rolls Royce Dawn wasn’t hard to spot; it was the only one left in the place._

_The first thing Keith did was to place the bat on the ground. Then he reached behind the small of his back by the waist band of his jeans and unsheathed a hunting knife. Keith crouched down and started to slash the tires and scratch the polished black and chrome paintjob. Next, Keith laid on the ground and crawled underneath the car to cut the fuse and the alarm wire so that his big finale doesn’t alert anyone._

_“Three hundred and thirty five grand.” Keith stood up, picked up the bat, and coolly rested it against his shoulder as he stood beside the car. He ran his index finger on the polished black tinted windshield to marvel at it one last time. “And it’s got nothing on this twenty dollar bat.”_

_Keith took the bat gripped it hard with by the handle with both hands. He got into a ready position while the end of the bat hung over his head._

_He let out all the anger he felt inside. Keith let go of all control and channeled all the rage he felt with each hit. The windshield cracked and spider web lines appeared on the tint. Keith hit it again and again; on the hood, on the windows, on the side mirrors, and the lights._

_Those violet eyes burned with a bright flame of a man so angry at the memory of seeing his lover broken and alone on the beach while soaked in the rain. Of Lance breaking down in Allura’s and Shiro’s arms while he believed that he was a failure. Of Lance who lost his hard kept scholarship because he was framed._

_Of Lance begging Keith to listen while they fought outside the school gates._

_Keith wasn’t just angry at Rolo, he was angry at himself too. He was furious for the pain he put Lance through and for walking away when Lance needed him the most. Lance had forgiven him, but the rage he felt still burned and screamed to be let out._

_So Keith did._

_He released it with every swing of the bat but he got so carried away with his anger that he reached to grip the side mirror and yanked it off before he threw it on the ground and stomped until it was crushed to shards. However, in the process, a piece of broken glass protruded and it cut through Keith’s glove and into his palm. But Keith felt no pain; only the desire for personal payback._

_Blood dripped from his wound and stained the handle of the bat a stark crimson; this pain was nothing. This pain wasn’t even enough to compare to how he felt when he was running around the city terrified because Lance was nowhere to be found. This was nothing compared to how his heart broke while Lance walked away from him on the beach._

_Finally, when his phone’s timer vibrated in his pocket to warn him about the last sixty seconds, Keith bolted from the site and slipped into the shadows of the shrubs. The night air was disrupted with the fading cry of a motorbike as it disappeared down the maze of the city._

“I couldn’t sleep last night so I cleaned the bike’s inner parts.” Keith lied. “Then my hand got caught on something and oh well, here we are.” He shrugged loosely and hoped that Lance didn’t see through the excuse.

“Jesus, Keith, you ought to be more careful!” Lance sighed. He took Keith’s hand and studied the bandage. “You better clean the wound again later.”

“You worry too much.” Keith smirked and yanked Lance down on him. His violet eyes became hooded when Lance ended up on top of him, pinning him against the bed. “ How about those thirty minutes, baby?”

Lance grinned slowly.

~

Later that morning, Shiro pulled over and parked in an empty spot in Altea. Keith wordlessly unclipped his seatbelt but he never took off his eyes on the huge crowd of students, teachers, and a couple of cops that surrounded the trashed Rolls Royce.

There was silence in the car before Shiro reached to unlock the doors. Just as Keith was about to reach for the handle, Shiro stopped him.

“Wait, Keith.”

“What is it?” the younger stopped and looked at him. Their gazes locked and the seriousness in their eyes was intense. “Is something up?”

“You don’t appear very interested.” Shiro observed, his voice flat.

“Interested in what?” Keith’s face was a cold mask.

“In _that_.”

Keith turned to watch the crowd. Rolo was nowhere in sight but Nyma was there, horror and panic in her eyes. She was surrounded by her lapdogs while her mouth moved quickly as she talked to people.

“Should I be?” Keith sounded really uninterested. His fingers drummed against his the black denim around his lap. Today, he wore causal clothes because it was the last day of school and as a rule, a casual dress code was allowed. He was also careful to hide his bandaged hand in his fingerless gloves but there was no fooling Shiro.

“Your hand.”

Keith froze and his fingers went limp.

“What did you tell Lance?” Shiro asked. When Keith gave him a paled look, he just shrugged his shoulders. “What, you thought I wouldn’t notice? I know you, Keith.” Shiro paused thoughtfully. “Your hidden rage when you explode is very familiar to me. Your… your mom was the same.”

“I said that my hand got caught in something while I was cleaning the bike last night.” Keith huffed and tore his eyes away to stare at his Doc Martens boots. “He bought it, luckily.”

“I won’t say that what you did was right, Keith.” Shiro finally said as he wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel. “But I’ll let this one go.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Are you sure about this, Keith?” Shiro asked and his eyebrows bunched over his eyes. “I talked to Allura about it. I can always sponsor you both.”

“And Allura agreed?”

Shiro fell quiet. “Well, she’s not exactly thrilled about it. She doesn’t want to burden me even when I said that I’m fine with it.”

“You have your mother breathing down your neck for paying three hundred grand a year because of me. What more if you add Lance to it? We have to put her into play because we can’t predict what she’ll use against you and Allura next.”

Shiro studied Keith for a brief moment. “You’re right. We’ll take our chances.”

Shiro frowned and unclipped his seatbelt. What Keith did was wrong but after the panic they went through…  after what Allura went through when Lance disappeared due to Rolo’s doing, it all evened it out.

He smiled when Keith turned to him with a look of disbelief. “Are you sure you don’t need me in there with you?”

“I can handle it.” Keith nodded. “You need to take care of something at work, right?”

“Unfortunately. Something came up but I’ll be fine on my own while Allura can take the day off.” Yesterday had been very stressful and it took a toll on all of them. Shiro eyed Keith while he opened the door. “Try not to hurt anyone.

Keith then paused and very slowly, he smiled at Shiro. “Keyword: Try.”

~

With everyone else distracted outside in the parking lot, Keith stalked the main building. He took the elevator to the top floor and stepped out into a Victorian inspired hallway that stretched far until it reached twin polished ironwood doors. When he reached it, he heard muffled voices inside and Keith recognized the yells and the high pitched cries of anguish as Rolo’s.

“Rolo, calm down!” A deep voice reprimanded.

“How can I calm down? My car is ruined! Are there any security footages? The parking lot has a shit ton of cameras!”

“I keep telling you, there was a power outage last night! The back-up generators didn’t turn on until the ten minute grace period!”

“Who even trashes a car in ten minutes?! That’s not even humanly possible!”

Finally, Keith pushed the doors open and strode in.

Rolo’s uncle, Sendak, was a tall, hulking man in his mid fifties. His dark brown hair was oiled back and he had a permanent scowl that rested on his face. He stood up from his chair behind his desk when the doors parted and Keith walked. Rolo on the other hand, looked disheveled; his face was red and the gauze on his nose distorted his face and his eyes were red and swollen from angry tears.

“You…” Rolo hissed when he laid eyes on Keith. Sendak walked around his desk but nonetheless stood his guard.

“Keith Kogane?” Sendak asked. “Correct?”

“’Sup, Mr. Sendak?” Keith nodded in acknowledgement.

But then Rolo turned to snap at his uncle;

“He’s the one who ruined my car! Kick him out of school and have him arrested too, uncle!”

“The what now?” Keith cocked his head to the side and feigned an innocent tone. “What are you talking about, buddy?”

“You did this, you fucking asshole!” Rolo roared in anger, seeing red. Keith however, remained unfazed and he wore a cool smug look on his face. “You did this because your pathetic boyfriend cried to you about losing his stupid skateboard!”

 “Wow, I’m _hurt_ , Rolo.” Keith gasped a little bit too obnoxiously. He took a step closely towards the senior, obviously not worried about what Rolo might do to him. “How could you put the blame on me like that?” he took another step and Rolo backed away. “Do you even have proof that it was me?”

Rolo clamped his mouth shut when he heard the familiarity of those words and clenched his fists but then Sendak spoke up.

“Gentlemen, I would appreciate it if you would tell me what the hell is going on here.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell you what’s going on.” Keith turned to face Rolo’s uncle and poison dripped on his words. “Do you remember Lance?”

“The devious rascal who punched Rolo after he offered his condolences?” Sendak replied. “Yes, I know him. I had him taken out of the scholarship program. Altea has no need for troublemakers like---“

But Sendak fell deathly quiet when Keith whipped out his phone and turned the screen to face him. Rolo became deathly pale when the security footage started to play and it showed him smashing the skateboard along with Nyma and Reedus.

“They also broke into Lance’s locker twice, harassed him anonymously by text, and broke his glasses.” Keith added while he never took off his death glare at Rolo. “The last time I checked the handbook, property damage and extreme harassment are both subject to expulsion.”

“Rolo, do you have any explanation for this?” Sendak snapped at Rolo whose confidence appeared to have shrunk from being caught red handed.

“I…Well, I….”

“What, you thought that the back shed didn’t have a security camera?” Keith pretended to look surprised. “Do you actually think so lowly of Altea, Rolo?”

“Rolo!” Sendak snapped. “Explain this!”

Rolo kept his silence.

“You mean to tell me,” Sendak walked over to his nephew when Keith stepped aside and loomed over the young man who looked at him with fear in his eyes. “That you had me expel an innocent student when it was _you_ who was the root of all of this?!”

 “Uncle, I…” Rolo began and his voice sounded very small.

“That’s not a very good image, Mr. Sendak.” Keith clicked his tongue against his teeth in a disappointed ‘tsk’ and he shook his head with a look of concern. “I heard Mrs. Calhoun is threatening to sue the school if this doesn’t get resolved.”

“How did you get this video, Mr. Kogane?” Sendak asked suspiciously but Keith just shrugged.

“It’s online, didn’t you know?” he replied. “It’s got more than a hundred hits already. Anyone could have uploaded it. I just thought that I enlighten you with the truth, that’s all.”

Rolo’s eyes widened in horror and Sendak exploded angrily at him. “You’ve soiled our name, you insolent brat! You will take responsibility for this and bear the consequences of your actions, do you understand? You’re expelled! Just wait until your father hears about this!”

“Uncle…!”

“You be quiet!” Sendak barked and strode to his desk. He pressed a button on the phone and spoke after two rings from the other line. “Alfor? Yes, it’s me. Come to my office right now. We need to talk about the scholar boy…Yes, yes… Keith Kogane came forward with evidence. You need to see this first then we’ll talk about the reinstatement of the boy’s scholarship.”

“Well, that is my queue to leave.” Keith muttered smugly. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and turned to leave. But the moment he passed by Rolo who stood rooted on the spot in fear, he whispered;

“You will stay away from Lance, you shitfaced son of a bitch. And the next time word reaches me that you put a filthy finger on him again, your car’s not the only thing I’m going to break, do you understand?”

“So, it was you!”

Keith smiled that slow, dark smile of his and his violet eyes turned sharp with a sinister light.

“But who’s going to believe you now, asshole?”

Then Keith walked away, victorious.

~

**_Meanwhile…_ **

****

Fuyumi stood by the door, her head hung low and her eyes filled with turmoil while she watched the events unfold before her.

“Mom, **don’t**.” Lance’s eyes were wide with horror. “You don’t have to do this, please. I’ll be okay, don’t… don’t do this!”

“My, my,” Kimiko smiled from the other end of their small dining table. Her golden phoenix kimono looked so out of place in Allura’s small living room. “You’re quite a talkative boy, aren’t you?”

“Because what you’re doing is wrong!” Lance stood abruptly and clenched his fists by his sides. “You can’t just pop in here and force this deal on my mother!”

“Lance, sit down.” Allura’s voice was hushed and her eyes were cast down. “Manners, please, son.”

Having been shut down, Lance did as told and forced to lower himself on the chair beside Allura. Kimiko smiled at them as her crimson painted lips quirked up but it did not reach her black eyes. Her bony fingers lifted her purse and snapped it open to pull something from inside.

Lance’s and Allura’s eyes widened when Kimiko slid a rectangular piece of paper across the table towards them.

“I will say it again and here is proof to show that this is not senseless tomfoolery.” Kimiko pulled back her hand and folded them over lap daintily. Allura’s mouth tightened into a thin line and Lance’s face was filled with shock while he stared at the signed check.

 “Fifteen million US dollars signed and ready to be withdrawn, Allura. Enough to provide Lance with quality college education and for the two of you to live comfortably until you retire.” Kimiko said with an elegant tilt of her head.  “And all you have to do is to leave Takashi’s life.”

Kimiko’s smile widened a bit more when Allura reached forward and slowly took the check in her hand.

“Mom, what are you doing?” Lance demanded in panic. “Mom, please, don’t do this to Shiro!”

Fuyumi clutched her phone tightly until she was sure that she’d crack the screen. She could only hope that her messaged arrived in time. She prayed to all the gods she worshipped for the master to check his phone and be on his way back to stop this insane negotiation. Suddenly, her heart leaped in her throat when her phone vibrated silently. Discreetly, she unlocked her phone and read the message from master Takashi;

**‘I’m on my way. Don’t let her do anything stupid.’**

Determination steeled in Fuyumi as she took the master’s order into heart but then her new found confidence withered when she heard Lance’s desperation;

“Mom… _N-No…_ ”

Fuyumi could only watch in disbelief as Allura fully accepted the check and rested it between her fingers.

“Mrs. Shirogane.” Allura smiled and lifted her gaze, her blue lilac eyes meeting with those sharp black ones.  “Thank you very much for this generous offer.”  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're here, everyone! I hope you stay tuned for the climax of Taking Chances in the next update! 
> 
> We're down to our last five chapters! Thank you for all your love and support!


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The apex of our tale of love and taking chances... _Together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Season 2 is OUT LIKE WAAASSSUUUUUP????!!! Yeeaahh! I hope you guys are having the time of your lives because I think I just hurt my throat from screaming so much. I had a bad day at school so I vented through writing and BAM! Chapter 35! This is it, this is the climax! I just hope you guys like it and that my writing did it justice.
> 
> OH. FAN ART BY THE AWESOME JACKALOPES-VLD! Check out her [Ducati Keef](http://jackalopes-vld.tumblr.com/image/155932268502) (Gosh, this had me feel so many things! Thank you so much!)
> 
> Anyway, here's your update! I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 35

 

Shiro knew it. Shiro fucking knew it.

He was told by his mother that a sudden meeting with the Shirogane clan lawyers came up and he had to meet with them at the office, but when he arrived there, he was greeted by an empty conference room. That was when he received the dreaded messaged from Fuyumi:

**Asahina Fuyumi (Fri. 9:00 AM)**

**‘Master, the madam has miss Allura. We are at her apartment. Your mother plans to bribe her to cut all connections with you. Please hurry!’**

The blood drained from Shiro’s face only to be replaced by bubbling anger as he stormed off from Voltron tower. Now, he was stuck in traffic while his coldblooded mother had his fiancée and his future step son in her clutches. His hands gripped the steering wheel while his eyes glared at the traffic; his best bet was to cut through the residential area to avoid the downtown jam but the exit to that street was still a kilometer of slow moving traffic.

How dare she? How fucking dare she?! Just how far does his mother plan to go to wrap her controlling fingers around everything?

First, Sven.

Then, Keith.

Now, Lance and Allura.

Kimiko has targeted everything that was precious to him and Shiro has had enough of this. He will do whatever he can to put a stop to this even if it meant taking a chance at making a sacrifice; no matter how great.

He tapped quickly on his phone and soon, the other line started to ring and Keith’s voice spoke in the wireless earpiece on Shiro’s he wore on one ear that was connected to his phone.

**“What’s up?”** Keith asked.

“Bad news.” Shiro replied hurriedly. “Are you starting your break time for the day?”

**“Yeah. I’m with the others right now.”** Keith said and his tone dropped seriously. **“What happened? Is it Lance?”**

The moment Shiro recognized the strained worry in Keith’s tone, he interrupted the younger’s rising dilemma in the best way that he can. “He’s most likely part of it. But it’s Allura.” He heaved a heavy breath and added through gritted teeth with spite; “It’s _Mother_. She’s cornered them at the apartment.”

**“Oh, hell fucking no.”** Keith sounded with disbelief. **“Where are you? I can leave.”**

“It’s fine, finish your classes, I can handle—“

**“Like hell I’ll let you go through this alone!”** Keith snapped. Shiro guessed that Keith covered the receiver with his hand but he heard a distinct _‘Hunk, Pidge, could you cover for me? Great, thanks!’_ Then he was back again. **“I’m on my way.”**

“Keith, you really don’t have to.” Shiro heard a locker door slamming and heavy, frantic footsteps on marble.

**“Could you shut up for a bit, Shiro?”** Keith huffed. **“Didn’t I tell you that I’ve got your back? You look out for me and I look out for you, don’t you get it?” He paused and the next words came strained. “I… I know you loved mom a long time ago.”**

Shiro froze and felt a black hole swirl in his gut followed by the dull ache of a calloused wound in his heart. The feeling was old, dead, and gone but that didn’t mean that it didn’t leave its mark. That dark day was one of the many brutal events that shaped Shiro into the man he is today.

**“It was raining on the day of their funeral.”** Keith continued. **“The whole cemetery looked so big because I was still small. You stayed even after everyone else left and I saw you; how you broke down in the rain… how you begged for their… _her_ forgiveness.”**

“Keith…” Shiro breathed and felt the hot sting of tears in his eyes but he blinked them back.

**“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you shut yourself out. You didn’t want the same pain of losing someone you love again but you changed your mind when you met Allura, am I right?”** Keith said and Shiro heard the other’s quickening steps again.

“I never thought you noticed, Keith.” Shiro smiled sadly and close his eyes. Just a little bit further then he’ll be in the intersection he needed to take for his shortcut.

**“Pft, I’m not dense, Shiro.”**   A soft snort. **“What do you take me for? An Asswipe?”**

“Yes.”

**“Haha, very funny.”** It was deadpanned and sarcastic but Keith’s voice became serious again. **“What I’m saying is that you’re too damn hard on yourself. You finally found someone you love and I’m so fucking happy for you, but you can’t fight all your battles alone, Shiro. Call me a meddling brat but you’re like the older brother I never had and cutting class is nothing compared to standing by you while you fight an evil satan-mom for what’s _yours_.”**

“Jesus Christ, Keith.” Shiro’s voice cracked a bit. “That has got to be the first mature thing I’ve heard from you.” A pause and then he softly said; “Thank you.”

**“No problem.”** Shiro heard the menacing grin on Keith’s tone. **“Fight back, Shiro. Take your chances at your happiness and don’t let anyone pry it from you. Not even from your cold dead hands.”**

“Keith, I…”

**“Now drive faster, old man.”** Keith ordered. **“I’ll meet you there.”**

 “Ten minutes.” Shiro knew that Allura is a strong woman but she can’t hold off against an enemy like Kimiko on her own.

**“You got it.”**

~

“All you have to do is sign this receipt paper and the money is yours.” Kimiko’s tone was light and calm. She slid a fountain pen towards Allura those blue lilac eyes stared on the document and the check amounting to fifteen million dollars.

Allura knew that Kimiko was right; with that kind of money, hers and Lance’s life are covered for them to live comfortably… just the two of them. And when Lance moves out to be with Keith, what will happen to her? She tried to imagine a big spacious suburban house with a flower garden, a white fence, and a homey fireplace.

But it was empty except for her.

The pain of not having Shiro in her life and the emptiness it brought tore through Allura’s heart like a blade. She and Lance had made it this long without that kind of fortune but they still turned out fine. But Shiro had been such a huge part of her life and she’s very happy with him.

“Think about what you’re doing, mom.” Lance whispered, desperate, when Allura took hold of the pen and rolled it between her fingers, oddly testing its weight.

“Now, young man,” Kimiko’s tone was sickening when she tried to be doting towards Lance. “Your mother doesn’t need to be bothered.” She didn’t appeare to be fazed when Lance gave her a death glare with those deep blue eyes of his. “I’m absolutely sure that she has made the right choice.” Those shrewd black eyes glanced at the check Allura had accepted.

“Yes, Lance, she’s right.” Allura spoke for the first time and she turned to look at him. Lance’s bottom lip trembled slightly but he strayed strong and Allura was proud of him for that. “I’ve decided.”

Finally, Allura stood up from her chair and Kimiko’s startled gaze followed her as she took the check.

And to Kimiko’s horror and Lance’s shock, she tore it to pieces and let the bits fall in front of Kimiko. “You can shove this up your ass, _bitch_.”

“What…What are you…” She stuttered, wide eyed. Fuyumi gasped by the door and turned when she heard frantic footsteps on the wooden floorboards outside.

“Allura!”

“Lance!”

Shiro and Keith burst through the door and when Keith saw Kimiko, his eyes narrowed in rage.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, his voice seething with anger.

“Takashi, I’ve raised you well and I’m sure that this orphan’s ill manners didn’t come from you.”

“Keith,” Shiro’s voice was hard and he never took off his sharp, dark glare from his mother’s. “That is not how you say it.” He took a threatening step forward. “Mother, what the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing?!”

“Takashi, I will not have you speak to me in such a---“

“I don’t care what you think,” Shiro snapped and slashed his hand across him in emphasized gesture. “I am sick and tired with having you dictate every facet of my life for your own goddamn benefit!”

Kimiko stood up from her chair in defiance and her hand quickly flew to press against her chest in shock. But then the hot air from Shiro’s rage cooled once again with the ice of her voice.

“Until the very end, you still chose to defy me,” Kimiko looked sour as she slowly shook her head. “How very… _you._ It’s a shame that your older brother passed away, he held so much potential unlike the disappointment that you are, Takashi.”

“Do you even have the slightest idea why Sven died?” Allura demanded. “You pushed him to do it. This…This monstrosity you’re doing to Shiro right now, your forced control on him. It’s what took Sven’s life! He couldn’t take it anymore!”

“Do not meddle in the affairs of our family, you whore--Ah!” Kimiko snapped at Allura but shock rippled through when she felt water splash on her face. Gasps filled the room and when Kimiko opened her eyes and peered through her make up that started to run down her face, she came face to face with her son’s stormy eyes. He held and empty glass that once contained juice that Lance had prepared for their unwelcomed guests.

“Shut. Up.” Shiro’s words were slow but distinctly pronounced with simmering rage. “You will stop running your mouth and you will leave.”

Kimiko’s face burned with humiliation; no one had dared to stand up against her before and most importantly, threw apple juice at her face. But she kept her cool; she did not bother to feign a smile but her eyes burned with hatred.

“I see how this is.” She said. “You think you can stand up to me just because you hold the company and its wealth.” Kimiko scoffed when she looked at Allura who glared back at her. “Of course, why didn’t I see it? It’s logical; Why accept a check when you can have limitless wealth from my son, isn’t that right?”

“You’re wrong!” Allura’s tone sliced the air, seething. “You can’t make me sell our engagement for your filthy money! I would be with Shiro even if he had no dime to his name! Lance and I have made it work all these years with very little but we’re happy!” She shook her head. “Of course, someone like _you_ wouldn’t understand!”

At that, Lance’s eyes widened and repeated in disbelief: “Engagement? Holy…shit…”

“I think you should leave, satan.” Keith crossed his arms over his chest and his gaze was pinned on Kimiko like a target.

“Or what?” Kimiko sneered but she backed down when Lance stepped up to stand beside Keith.

“Or I can call the cops,” Lance smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. He took out his phone to show Kimiko. “’Cause ‘ya know…You’re trespassing after all.”

“I suggest you that know your place, you devious drop out.” Eyes like broken glass flashed with anger as she hissed. “You are no different from that wretched _charity case_.”

“Oh, which reminds me, madam.” Keith’s tone dripped with mockery. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Baby, special delivery.” Then he handed it to Lance who took it with careful curiosity. Lance tore the side and pulled out the letter from inside before he started to read.

Then, his eyes widened and tears sheened in them.

“My scholarship is being reinstated?” He asked in disbelief. Allura gasped softly and placed a hand on her mouth while Shiro’s eyes widened.

“I…I can study in Altea again!”

“That’s wonderful!”” Allura’s eyes softened while Shiro gave Keith a knowing look.

“You did great on your first negotiation, Keith.” He said. “But I don’t think I’d want to know how you handled it.”

The little celebration disgusted Kimiko. First, she was tricked into believing that Allura would take the money, then Shiro disrespected her, and now this. She had been humiliated enough.

“If you think you have the last laugh, then you are mistaken.” She forced out through her tightly folded lips. “You will come crawling back to me, Takashi.”

“Mother, just leave.” Shiro gritted. “You’ve lost. Admit it.”

“Do not call me that,” Kimiko held her head up high and the room fell quiet.

“Oh, no…” Fuyumi breathed in shock. But she knew that she shouldn’t really be surprised at Kimiko’s vileness. And yet, this was happening.

“You no longer have that right, Takashi.” Kimiko continued, her tone hard and loathing as she pinned Shiro on the spot wither her eyes like broken glass. “From this day forward, I am disowning you as the legal heir, the CEO, and my son.”

Shiro froze while Allura’s face twisted in horrific disbelief. But Kimiko continued; “You are to hand over all of the company’s assets that you hold; the penthouse, the cars, and the accounts.” Kimiko smiled smugly. “But you could always get those comforts back if you agree to my terms.”

“You bitch.” Allura glared and she strode forward to stand by Shiro’s side. “Unlike you, Shiro isn’t alone in this. He has us.”

“She’s right.” Shiro spoke past his shock and swallowed the lump in his throat. He held his head up high and boldly took Allura’s hand into his. “I’m sick and tired of doing what you want… Of being miserable. I’ve made it on my own before you forced me into taking Sven’s place and I can do it again.” He stepped forward towards Kimiko and the woman stepped back.

“You’ve crossed the line; you threatened _my family_.” Shiro said. “That is something I will never forgive, do you understand?”

Kimiko fell silent.

“Leave, now.” Allura said darkly. “And _never_ make the mistake of showing your botoxed face here ever again.”

Lance opened the door and gestured at Kimiko to get out with a mocking half bow. “Good riddance~!”

Kimiko didn’t respond to that but she held her chin up. “I expect you to vacate the company premises and the penthouse by the end of the week along with the vehicles and the bank accounts.” Her eyes looked over to her aide. “Fuyumi, come.”

“No.”

“Pardon?” Kimiko frowned. “I said, let us go.”

“Read my lips, you old hag.” Fuyumi dared to meet those sharp eyes. “I. Quit.”

“Whoah, way to kick some ass, Yumi.” Keith grinned smugly at Kimiko. “You heard her.” Then he motioned towards the opened door. “Scram.”

One last glare and Kimiko was gone.

Lance heaved a heavy sigh and slumped against the wall. “Damn, that has got to be the second most stressful situation of my life.”

“Should I guess the other one?” Keith asked but as a response, Lance just elbowed him playfully. “We don’t talk about that.”

But while the two teens bantered and chuckled at teasing each other, Fuyumi spoke now;

“Master Takashi,” she said. “I would like to thank you for inspiring me with strength to do what I did. I’m finally free to do what I truly want.”

Shiro gave Allura’s hand a squeeze and a loving look before he let go and walked over to the young woman. “I didn’t do anything, you know.” He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “It’s all _you_. That daring strength to stand up for yourself, it all came from you, not me.”

“But master,” Fuyumi began but Shiro shook his head.

“Don’t call me that anymore.” He said with a sad smile. “I disowned and I got fired.” A bitter chuckle. “Life is so cruel sometimes.”

“You are not disowned.” Fuyumi shook her head and looked up kindly at Shiro. “Kimiko is the one left with nothing. You have a family… a home. You can’t possibly be disowned.” She gestured at the people who stood behind Shiro and they all smiled at her.

“You’re right, Yumi.” Shiro nodded. He felt relief at the that fact, that no matter what happened, he always had people who would stand by his side; that he would always have Allura. “What will you do now?”

“I was able to save a decent amount of money and I think I might go travel and see the world and find my place in it.” She replied. “But, I will go back to Japan first and visit my parents and then pay my respects to your brother.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Shiro nodded with approval. “Thank you, Yumi, for everything. You’ve done so much for us.”

“If you ever find yourself in these parts again,” Allura said from where she stood beside Lance. “Our home is always open to welcome you.”

“Come visit and tell us about your travels!” Lance beamed. “Oh and add me on Facebook so we can keep in touch!”

“Don’t forget about us, ‘kay?” Keith said this time. “I hope you’ll drop by again.”

“I surely will.” Fuyumi nodded and then she looked at all of them. Finally, she gave them a deep bow of gratitude. “Thank you.”

 

~

 

That night, Shiro sat in the penthouse’s dining room with a mug of coffee that he didn’t touch much. The bitter concoction had cooled but Shiro didn’t pay any mind to it while he blankly stared at the cupboards. He thought of what to bring along with him when he moves to a larger apartment unit with Allura. Everything was such short noticed, but it was a blessing that one of the tenants from the third floor of the same apartment building moved out.

That unit was larger than where Allura and Lance lived, but it had two bedrooms and it was large enough to accommodate all of them once he and Keith moved in.

While they were having dinner earlier, Shiro brought up the topic about Keith’s schooling. Since Shiro and Allura, as his secretary, technically lost their jobs, it would be impossible to send Keith to Altea on regular rates. However, Keith and even Lance, didn’t look fazed at all about it. Shiro recalled the conversation they had:

_“A few days ago,” Keith had said as he placed down his fork. “Mr. Coran talked to me about something. He said that since I got into my batch’s top ten, Altea is extending a scholarship offer to me. So, don’t worry about it. I’ll still graduate with Lance next year.”_

_Then, Lance finally spoke; “Mom, Shiro, Keith and I have decided. We’ll find our own place and move out soon. Keith said he’ll get a part time job while I can continue working at the café.”_

_Allura gasped and looked worriedly at Lance at the sudden decision. “Why? That’s the reason we got this unit in the first place.”_

_“Nah,” Lance shook his head with a grin. “I mean, it’s okay. It’s about time the two of us get on our own feet and be responsible and things like that. And besides,” he shrugged. “You two are getting married, right? You’ll need a place to yourselves.”_

_“Shiro, the Ferrari deal is also off.” Keith added to Shiro’s surprise. “Let’s face it, it’s impossible for you to buy on in the first place given what' happened today. But most importantly, use what you have to start your life together. I still have my bike anyway since it's not company property." he pursed his lips in a thin line. "Besides, Kim can pry it off my cold dead hands."_

_“You two sound older than you are, do you know that?” Allura had joked while Lance and Keith started to bicker on how impractical buying a Ferrari  was in the first place._

_And Shiro just sat there, surrounded by laughter._

_By family._

_By love._

_And he wouldn’t ask for more._

 

“Can’t sleep?”

Shiro was startled out of his thoughts and he smiled when he saw Allura. She padded over to him and joined him on the dining table. “What’s wrong?”

“I…was just thinking about what happened today.” Shiro sighed and ran a hand down his face. “I just… couldn’t believe that my mother…that she…” he trailed off and closed his eyes briefly and Allura reached forward and placed her hand on his cheek gently.

“She won’t bother us again. She has no reason to.” Allura assured. “And even if she does, I’m not going to let you face her alone.” She paused. “I’m not going to let you go through anything on your own.”

“We got into this together,” Shiro breathed. “And we’ll get out of this together.”

“Right.” Allura agreed. But then, she frowned. “Hey, why the face, love?”

Shiro found it hard to speak but he lowered his gaze on the table. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For…” Shiro started and he had to pause to find the right words. “…Allura, what could I possibly offer you now?” he narrowed his eyes and glared at the table while his hands curled into fists over his lap. “I lost my job and because of that, you lost yours. I know I’m used to a life far from luxury, but…but that was before I met you. It was just Keith and me back then, but now… what can I offer you? What can I offer our family?”

“Shiro, look at me.” Allura’s hands gently lifted Shiro’s head so that she gazed into those beautiful obsidian eyes. Then, she repeated the same words he said to her; “What if I told you that you don’t have to bear all the burden by yourself?” she smiled lovingly at him. “What if I told you that I love you enough to stay by your side for the rest of my life? To help you raise a home that we could call our own? Would you let me?”

Finally, tears trickled down from Shiro’s eyes as the events of the day finally made him break. He let out all the hurt Kimiko had put him through as he buried himself in Allura’s arms.

“Yes. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He whispered tearfully.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Allura.”

 

Keith was hidden in the shadows on the other side of the dining room. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t meant to eavesdrop, but he overheard what Shiro and Allura were talking about when he was on the way back from the condominium’s garage late that night.

His heart fluttered and melted from what he heard and as he pushed off from the wall while he started to make his trip upstairs, he smiled a secret smile to himself. Then, he entered his room and stripped off his clothes to joined Lance who was already falling asleep. But despite that, Lance welcomed Keith into his arms, their naked bodies warm against each other, their bond after today stronger, and their hearts beat in sync with each other’s.

As Keith felt sleep blanket him while he settled in Lance’s embrace, he said a silent prayer in the secret corners of his mind while his lips moved soundlessly to mimic them;

_“Mom, dad, I’m right where I belong. I’ll be okay.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last four chapters, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for all your love and support!
> 
> PS: I haven't watched episodes 6-finale yet. The site I watch one hasn't uploaded them. And no, I don't have netflix. Im poor ahahahaha*sobs* Hopefully tomorrow <3


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who haven't read my tumblr [post](http://lightoflunaris.tumblr.com/post/156391485156/taking-chances-just-hit-2k-i-cant-believe-this), I made a miscalculation and realized that we are down to our last two chapters, this one, being the second to the last. 
> 
> I feel so bitter sweet; this story and all of you had had played a big part in my life in the last six months. I almost gave up so many times, but I didn't want to let anyone, my self, the most, down. I know that this story isn't perfect; it's got flaws, it played with some canon issues, but so many of you still encouraged me. For that, I'd like to thank you. 
> 
> MY MOM MADE ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL PIECE. It's [Klance in their beach feat. canon swim shorts](http://forsakenangel88-art.tumblr.com/post/156509173125/keith-and-lance-having-fun-on-a-beach-date-based) I love it so much, thank you, Angel! 
> 
> So without further ado, here is the second to the last episode featuring some elements from Season 2 and it's a Lance chapter with his insecurities since we didn't get much of him in S2 <3 (I died btw)

Chapter 36

**_Two months later…_ **

The alarm blared on the night stand and Keith smacked it to silence before he curled up underneath the comforter again.

“Keith, wake up.” He heard Lance’s voice and there was a nudge on his shoulder. “We’ll be late.”

“Late for what?” Keith grumbled. “It’s only Sunday.”

“Uh, no, boy-genius,” Lance’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “It’s Monday. It’s the first day of school so you better get up.”

“Five minutes. I pulled overtime at work last night, cut me some slack, dammit.”

“We don’t have five minutes!” Lance’s tone rose, exasperated. Keith cracked an eyelid open and trailed his sleepy violet gaze at Lance who stood beside the bed and loomed over his with his hands sternly planted on his hips. “Get up, Keith.”

“Or what?” Keith’s eyes, now both open, narrowed in challenge and his lips turned up into a slow, sleepy smirk that made Lance’s face turn red. 

“I’ll… I’ll kick you out!” Lance choked and tore his eyes away, clearly flustered.

“Oh, yeah?” Keith sounded relaxed and essentially not affected by Lance’s threat. “I’d like to see you try.”

“You asked for this, Kogane!” Staying true to his word, Lance yanked the covers from Keith, exposing his pale limbs and he wore nothing but his red paladin Space Explorers boxer shorts. “I got you now, asswipe!” Lance quickly reached to grab Keith’s ankle so he could pull him off the bed and on his ass on the floor but Keith countered the moved and grabbed Lance’s wrist. With one powerful force of movement, he pulled Lance down on him.

“Heh. _Like that?”_ Keith grinned and his voice was husky with sleep. Lance glared at him despite the red tint on the dark skin of his cheeks.

“We’re not going to make a good impression to our senior homeroom teacher if we decide to waltz in late.” Lance huffed but he closed his eyes when he felt Keith’s warm fingers crawl up behind his neck and tangled themselves on his brown locks that were now slightly longer, just falling past his nape a bit.

“Can I at least have five minutes with you?” Keith asked.

“For what?”

In response, Keith slightly craned up his neck and at the same time, pushed Lance’s head down towards him. Their kiss was brief but deep that Lance found himself slowly closing his eyes while his lips moved against Keith’s.

When Keith finally pulled back, he poked the tip of his nose against Lance’s tenderly. “Happy birthday, baby.”

“Oh… yeah. Thank you, baby.”

Keith frowned. “Don’t tell me you forgot about your own birthday, Lance. You’re the vainest person I know.”

“Hey!” Lance protested and sat up then he paused in thought. “You know what, Keith? I guess I am.” He grinned. “I mean, just look at my Instagram and Snapchat accounts; the numbers are blown up! I’m beautiful!”

Keith groaned and he sat up too. He rubbed sleep off his eyes and stretched his arms upward with a satisfied grunt when he heard his shoulder joints pop from being stiff from sleep.

“But thanks, Keith.” Lance smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s just…so many things happened to us; work, the things that happened last quarter, Shiro’s mom, moving in…” he sighed. “I usually start counting the days two weeks before.”

“What kind of man would I be if I forgot my own boyfriend’s birthday?” Keith arched a dark brow at Lance who shrugged.

“An alien?”

Keith paused and thought about it. “Hm, maybe I _am_ an alien.”

“Even if you turned purple and yellow-eyed, you’d still be my favorite asshole.”

“Gee. I love you too.”

Lance chuckled and smacked Keith with a pillow who parried it with the back of his arm. Lance got off the bed and Keith yawned. “Come on, your five minutes are over.”

***

Altea loomed in front of them with its familiar Parthenon-like main building. Lance and Keith stood by the opened gates and took in the sight of the students, both old and new. They recognized some of their old schoolmates and saw new faces that wandered around. But the place was still the way they remembered it during the last week of the past academic term.

Except this time, Nyma, Rolo, and their cronies weren’t around anymore.

“So, you got any advice on this scholar thing?” Keith asked Lance while his hand reached up a bit to loosen his red senior’s tie.

“Just keep your grades high and extra shiny and make sure not to get into any trouble. You’ll be fine.” Lance replied while reached behind him to pull back his white hoodie over his uniform jacket.

A scholar.

Approximately three hundred and sixty five days ago, Keith never thought that he would be in this situation and yet, here he was. He didn’t complain because compared to how he was before, he was much happier with Lance now in their shared apartment. They both worked part time jobs a couple of days a week after school; Lance still as a barista for the Coffee Nook and Keith, at a shipping warehouse.  

Because Lance and Keith didn’t stay very long prior to getting their own place, Shiro and Allura didn’t bother to move out of the original apartment unit since the three bedroom unit that was vacated upstairs was too big for just the two of them. But despite the new changes, they have all been getting by.

Allura got a job as an assistant teacher at a daycare all the while taking up additional teaching classes to make her qualified for a teaching license. Shiro was welcomed back into the force by his old colleagues and he is now an instructor to newly recruited cadets at the police academy. Even if Allura was reluctant to let Lance move out with Keith, she understood and accepted that her little boy has grown up and is eager to spread his wings and fly on his own. Even so, it wasn’t very lonely; they still all live in the same city despite being in different neighborhoods.

Keith noticed that Lance fiddled with the tip of his tie and knew that something was bothering him. He knew Lance well enough to know about his habits and right now, his beloved boyfriend showed signs that he was nervous.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Lance turned to look at him. “It’s our final year. After this, we go to college.”

“Yeah, so?”

“I guess… I guess I’m just worried, you know?” Lance answered and his blue eyes looked troubled behind his glasses. “What if I don’t make it? What if something bad happens again? Anything could happen in a span of a year and well... I think what I want to say is that; what if I’m not good enough to get through it?”

“Okay, let me stop you right there.” Keith said and he turned to fully face Lance. He reached out and brushed back some of Lance’s bangs from his forehead. “You’ve got to stop beating yourself up like this; you’re fucking amazing. You’re smart and you’re gutsy. Like hell I’m going to let you go through this alone.”

“Oh, Keith.” Lance’s gaze softened and he smiled. When Keith’s hand reached down to cup his cheek, Lance leaned into the touch.

“But do you know what I think?” Keith said and he leaned in closer.

“What?” Lance looked confused.

“I bet thousands of people adore you.” Keith grinned. “But out of those thousands, I’m going to beat all of their asses for the title as your number one fan.”

“Now, you just sound ridiculous.” Lance laughed and gave Keith a playful shove. When Keith leaned in again, Lance closed his eyes and he kissed him.

It didn’t last long when a girl walked past them, donning a red ribbon around her collar that she was in the same class as Lance and Keith. “Jesus fucking christ, get a damn room, Kogane!”

“Fuck off, Jacky!” Keith grinned menacingly and fist bumped Jacky while Lance nodded a hello at one of Keith’s detention buddies.

“We won’t be seeing you in Room 214 anymore?” She asked and Keith shook his head with a smile.

“I can’t. I can’t afford to lose my scholarship.” He glanced at Lance who gave him a shrug. “But I’ll visit when I can. That’s why you,” he looked back at the girl. “Are the leader of No Man’s Land now.”

“Kogane’s successor, holy shit.” Jacky whispered in disbelief. “So that means…?”

“You’re in charge of the senior prank.” Keith nodded. “Make me proud, Jacky.”

“You won’t regret it! Shit, I have so many ideas!” she waved off as she ran inside the school, thrilled. “Later, my dudes!”

The courtyard had several booths being set up by the school’s extracurricular clubs to recruit new members. On the student assistance desk, they saw a familiar girl who called to them.

“Guys!” Shay ran up to them. She wore the same violet tie Lance and Keith used to wear now that she’s a year higher. There was a sash around her that read _‘STUDENT GUIDE’_ and she wore a name plate that read: ‘Hi! I’m Shay!’

“Hey, Shay!” Lance greeted. “So you took Hunk’s place in the welcome committee, huh?”

“Yes, I did.” Shay replied eagerly but then her topaz eyes fell sadly. “Altea isn’t the same without Hunk.”

Keith and Lance glanced at each other and Lance placed a hand on top of Shay’s head.

“Hey, the college he’s going to isn’t far off so he’ll still be here on the weekends.” He softened his tone to comfort his friend. “You’ll be joining him too, right?”

“I’m doing the best I can to get a scholarship in the same university.” Shay nodded. Then she perked up when she remembered something. She then went to her bag that was set down beside the student assistance table and pulled out an envelope with a small ribbon on it. “Here.” She handed it to Lance who accepted it with confusion. “It’s from me and Hunkybear. We hope you like it. Happy birthday, Lance!”

“Gamer Ville gift checks?!” Lance gaped. “These are rare! How did you…?”

“My older brother Rax knows a guy who knows this girl who knows this guy’s uncle’s nephew’s friend’s cousin!” Shay replied. “Pulled a few strings and poof, gift certs!”

“Wow.” Keith looked impressed. “You know a lot of people.” But Shay just shrugged with a smile.

“Thank you, Shay.” Lance beamed happily and he was about to say more but they were distracted when they heard the bell.

“Come on, we’ll be late.” Keith said but Lance burst out laughing.

“I can’t believe this is coming from someone like Keith who used to arrive ten minutes before the first class ends.”

“Hey!” Keith protested and he felt his face heat up in embarrassment when Shay giggled as well.

 

They heard the merry voices of the other seniors from the other side of the door. Lance sighed and placed his hand on the doorknob before he looked at Keith.

“Ready for a new year of crazy misadventures, Mullet?”

“You got it, nerd.” Keith grinned.

When Lance pushed the door open and they walked in, the class fell quiet and stared at them but among them, Pidge grinned;

“What?” Keith frowned.

Just then, the whole room erupted into cheers and applause. Lance and Keith were literally shocked at what happened as they stood there in dumbfound silence.

“Over here!” Pidge wave at them from where she sat on the amphitheater style classroom. “Sit your asses down, I saved you guys a spot!” she motioned excitedly at the empty places beside her.

It felt strange and confusing to have the whole class patting them on the back and congratulating them, especially Lance. They were told how they were able to rid the school of the nasty tyrants that terrified the other students and that they would go down as legends in Altean history.

“Happy birthday, loser.” Pidge grinned and pulled out a small package from their bag before they chucked it at Lance who managed to catch it.

“Wow, Pidge!” Lance smiled brightly. He ripped the birthday wrapper on the side of the package to peek. “Whoah, neon BlueSonic earphones, sweet! Thanks!” he plopped down next to Pidge followed by Keith.

“So,” Pidge began with a sly smirk. “Your love story is now a timeless classic in the archives of Altea that will be passed down from one generation to the next. I even heard it’s called: The Tale of Klance. How do you feel about that?”

“I… don’t know.” Keith admitted. He’s always been used to lurking in the shadows but Lance pulled him out of that lonely life. Now that they were together, it still felt strange and unbelievable for Keith that he actually got out of the wrong track before his life became unredeemable. “And seriously, Klance? What kind of name is that?”

“I can always influence the crowd to change it to The Adventures of Ducati Boy and Four Eyes if you’re complaining.” Pidge frowned and pushed their glasses up the bridge of their pert nose. “Take your pick, McMullet.”

“Klance. Klance is good.” Keith sighed. “Klance sounds great, actually. I expect a book by Shay written in gold ink and displayed in a fancy glass case in the middle of the library.”

“I’ll ask her.” Pidge snorted. “I bet she’ll have a great time writing your crazy escapades. I’ll send her a gallon of holy water when she starts writing the smu---“

 **“Pidge.”** Keith gritted. “Not. Here.”

“Oh, pft, you can’t tell me what to do!” Pidge rolled their eyes. When they started to get into a lowkey argument with Keith, Lance watched them with a small smile on his lips. Then those intelligent golden brown eyes took notice. “Lance, you okay, dude?”

“I love the glory, don’t get me wrong.” Lance replied. “But this is just so… overwhelming. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone; I just had to make sure that Rolo and Nyma left Keith and the squad alone.”

Keith’s eyes softened. “Well, they won’t be bothering us anymore, that’s for sure.” His eyes flickered to Pidge for a brief moment, a secret passing between them. “Besides, I think it’s a blow to Rolo’s pride that his car got trashed.”

“Oh, yeah.” Lance remembered. “That’s going to be one of Altea’s mysteries, huh?”

“It sure is.”

Then, Pidge cleared their throat. “Quiznaking aside, do you know anything about our new class advisor? I heard he’s really…uh…something.”

“No, actually.” Lance replied. “There wasn’t a name on the class roster when I saw it. I think they haven’t found one yet when they posted it.”

“I heard this guy has like… six PhDs and his field of specialty is metaphysics.” Pidge’s voice was filled with wonder.

“Meta-what?” Keith frowned.

“It’s philosophy, babe.” Lance beamed. But then, they were all startled when the doors opened and a small man of Indian descent walked in. He climbed the podium and placed his books on the teacher’s table. His stubby fingers reached up to habitually smooth the creaseless surface of his brown suit jacket.

“Good morning, Altea senior batch of 2017!” His voice piped up and carried across the room. His black eyes eagerly scanned the faces in the room. “My name is professor Slav and I will be your class advisor in this reality!”

~

That afternoon, Shiro walked in the apartment with a paper bag from a well-known electronics dealer. He smiled when the scent of herbs and cheese wafted towards him and he followed the scent to the kitchen where Allura was bent over a pot of pasta on the stove.

Without a word, Shiro leaned down and placed a kiss on the exposed soft skin of Allura’s shoulder.

“Welcome home.” Allura smiled and turned around just as Shiro wrapped his arms around her. This was his favorite part of the day; coming home to the woman he loves.

“Thank you.” Shiro replied with a smile. “Are you making Lance’s favorite carbonara?”

“I am.” Allura nodded. “Were you able to buy the thing?”

“Yeah. They’re out of the Red Paladin version so I got the Blue Paladin one. It sold out so fast but I was lucky enough to get the last one in the store.”

“I’m sure Lance will love it.” Allura smiled and stood on her toes to reach Shiro’s height to poke the tip of her nose against Shiro’s. “How was work?”

“Tiring.” Shiro chuckled. “Oh, but we have some promising new cadets.”

“I’m sure they’ll survive your rigorous training.”

“And you?”

“I had to stop two little boys from kicking each other on the face over finger paint.” Allura sighed. “I gave them time out and they made up afterwards.”

“You’re really good with kids.” Shiro smiled and Allura felt her heart kick and race when he pressed his hand against her belly. “I hope we’ll get to have our own too.”

“Shiro…” Allura’s eyes widened and her face turned beet red. Then, finally, she smiled; “Soon, then.”

She leaned in and Shiro did as well but before they could kiss, they were interrupted by the door opening and closing.

“Mom?” Lance called from the living room. “Oh my god, do I smell carbonara?!”

“Shiro! I wasn’t able to get that blueberry jam you wanted, they were fresh out!” Keith hollered afterwards.

Shiro sighed and Allura laughed softly but he was glad that she still pressed a chaste kiss on his lips before she shooed him off to go meet the boys.

Dinner was loud and cheerful. Lance was happy to have the people he loves and cares about around him. He also noticed the way Shiro and Allura were so close with each other. He saw how Shiro’s eyes softened every time Allura laughed and he looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the universe. Warmth bloomed in Lance’s heart, but it wasn’t the way it was when he was with Keith because this stemmed from something else;

It was from seeing his mother so happy.

“Lance?” Keith’s voice suddenly distracted him from his thoughts and he was grateful for it because he was able to get his shit together before tears fell from his eyes. “Is something wrong?”

When Lance looked up three sets of worried eyes stared at him and the most concerned of them belonged to Allura.

“Are you ill, sweetheart?” she asked as she placed down her fork.

“No,” Lance shook his head and smiled. “No, mom. I’m fine.’

Lance caught Shiro’s eyes flicker to meet Keith’s and it was like a silent message passed between them because Shiro reeled the moment away from the gloom. “If you’re feeling okay, I think it’s time you open your presents, Lance.”

“Oh, jeeze, you shouldn’t have.” Lance bit his lower lip and bashfully lowered his eyes. “I mean, you’re all so busy. This birthday dinner is plenty for me already.”

“We insist!” Allura beamed. “Right, Keith?”

“Yeah.” Keith agreed and gently squeezed Lance’s fingers underneath the table.

“Eighteen years ago today,” Allura continued. “My water broke while shopping for groceries. I did not suffer seven hours of labor just so you could reject your presents, young man.”

“Aw, mom.” Lance rolled his eyes. “You gave birth to a legend.”

“That I did.” Allura agreed fully. “Now come on.”

They all went to the living room and they made Lance sit on the couch which he did so obediently. Lance watched Shiro retrieve a paper bag from the counter with the logo of a well known electronics store. Lance took it slowly when Shiro handed it to him.

“This is from your mother and me.” He smiled. “The red version was sold out so I settled with the blue one and it was the last one in the store when I got there.”

“It was like that was meant for you, dear.” Allura followed. “Go on, open it”

Lance removed the staples that held the flaps together and pulled out a black box with an embossed chrome insignia of the Blue Paladin from space Explorers. His eyes widened and Keith whistled in awe;

“Holy… shit…” he breathed. “You did not… this is impossible.This is like… so fucking hard to get!”

Allura sighed. “I will excuse your language because it’s your birthday. But yes, it’s exactly what it is.”

Lance carefully lifted the black lid and stared at the limited edition Blue Paladin smartphone. His fingers caressed the smooth blue and silver chrome details of the phone and his inner child bounced in panic and excitement. “Thank you, mom! Thanks, Shiro!” He beamed happily. “This is awesome! I love it!”

“You’re welcome, dear.” Allura smiled.

“Happy birthday, Lance.” Shiro said and his dark eyes then trailed to meet with violet ones. “Keith?”

“Yeah, alright.” Keith stood up from where he sat down beside Lance. “Gimme a sec.”

“What’s going on?” Lance looked utterly confused but Shiro and Allura stood aside to give Keith the floor of attention.

“Hey, Lance, I—“ Keith began but he suddenly trailed off. He looked at Shiro for support and when the other nodded, he continued. “Listen, I...I know there were nights when we argued because I came home late and dead tired from work.”

“Keith…”

But Keith shook his head and he continued; “But I had to do all those over times. I won’t touch the money we’ve saved together because that’s for more important reasons so I had to earn this one on my own for you.”

He walked off to go to the small storage closet and opened the door. After he reached inside, Lance’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open in shock.

Keith approached him and handed Lance a brand new skateboard.

On the corner of his eye, he saw Shiro wrap his arm around Allura’s waist and Allura in return, leaned her head against his shoulder as they watched them.

“I know it’s not Blue.” Keith’s voice was kind. “But if you ask me, I don’t think Blue would want you to stop doing what you love. She’ll want you to keep enjoying it even if it’s not with her.”

“Oh, Keith…!” Lance felt so happy. He placed down the skateboard on the couch and threw his arms around Keith while he buried his face into the crook of his boyfriend’s neck. “Thank you, baby.”

No, Lance can cry later, he wouldn’t ruin this wonderful night with the people he treasured by bawling tears of joy. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.” He beamed and in the secrecy of their embrace, Lance whispered into Keith’s ear; “I love you.”

Keith’s response was to tighten the hug and even if he wanted to carry Lance into his old bedroom so he can add up to his birthday gift, he knew that would be reserved later at their place where Shiro and Allura won’t be around.

“Should we go blow out your candles?” Allura asked and looked expectantly at Shiro who stiffened before he slapped his forehead in realization.

“Mother of god, I forgot Lance’s cake!”

“Shiro!” Allura protested and planted her hands on her hips sternly. “I thought you said you were going to buy the cake?”

“I know I did!” Shiro said defensively. “But all my time got eaten up falling in line at the store for Lance’s phone. When I got out, it was almost time for dinner so I rushed back.” He looked over to Lance. “Tell you what, I’ll go buy it with Lance so he can pick out his cake, how’s that?”

“I-It’s really okay, Shiro.” Lance held up his hands to gesture. “I really don’t mind! This is all enough!”

“Nah, what’s a birthday without blowing out candles, huh, sport?” Shiro flashed him a quick but panicked smile as he strode to the shelf by the door and grabbed his keys. “Let’s go.”

“Go on, dear.” Allura urged Lance and when he looked at Keith, he just shrugged at him.

“Okay, be right back!” Lance ran after Shiro and the door closed shut.

Finally left alone in the apartment, Allura sighed and Keith looked over to her.

“Shiro wouldn’t forget something vital like that on _purpose_.” Keith said as he plopped down on the couch.

“I know” Allura smiled gently at him with a small nod of her head. “But Shiro had find a way to get Lance alone.”

“I wish I could see it.” Keith laid back on the couch and leaned back his head against the backrest of the couch to look at the ceiling. Then, he smiled; “But this is their moment.”

~

Lance and Shiro walked out of La Petit Jardin de Verre and Shiro’s trusty waitress friend, Vicky, waved at them good bye after she thanked them for their purchase. Lance held the cakebox, careful not to trip on anything and ruin the choco vanilla and strawberry marble cake in the pink and white box.

They got into Shiro’s car and Lance placed the box down carefully while he put on his seatbelt. This car wasn’t as flashy as Shiro’s Audi which his mother had taken away along with the penthouse, the Escalade, and several accounts because she didn’t want anything to do with Shiro anymore after he stood up to her. But Shiro had enough money saved to stand on his own two feet. He just had to make some adjustments on how he lived so that he can use his savings wisely.

But that didn’t really matter anymore. Shiro is well adjusted with his life with Allura and Keith was as well with Lance. Sure, Keith had to work extra hard to be able to keep his full scholarship and keep going to Altea, but Lance helped him and stood by his side.

“You got your cake safe and sound?” Shiro asked after he started the car and Lance nodded.

“Yeah, it’s right here and I’ll guard it with my life until I get to blow out the candles so we can eat it.”

Shiro chuckled and put the car to drive after he reversed out of the parking lot. “Vicky’s nice enough to give a birthday discount.”

“Yeah, she is.” Lance agreed. “She knows you; do you go there a lot?”

“Huh? Yeah, I do.” Shiro replied. “I took your mom there the first week she started out as my secretary.”

“I’m glad you did.” Lance smiled. He looked out the window and watched the headlights of the other cars and city buildings zip by in silent enigma. There was a comfortable silence the settled in the car but Lance didn’t really mind about it; it felt nice. However, he did notice that Shiro took a turn into a longer route back, then he stopped the car at the side of an empty street and pressed the hazard button on the dashboard.

“Shiro?” Lance asked, sounding lost. “What’s happening?”

Shiro looked at him in the dimness of the car that was only illuminated by the lamp posts outside. “Lance, can we talk?” he unclipped his seatbelt.

“Sure, about what?” Lance did the same and turned to face Shiro in his seat. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s great, Lance.” Shiro replied and he placed his hands on his lap to stare at them. “I just want to talk to you about to something.”

“What is it?”

“You do know…” Shiro struggled to get the words out and it felt strange for Lance. Shiro has always struck him as the man who was confident in his abilities and who had the makings of a great leader, but right now, he was reduced to a nervous wreck. “That your mother and I have decided to get married, right?”

“Yeah.” Lance nodded and concerned filled his eyes. His voice dropped so low that it was barely a whisper. “Y-You’re not… you’re not going to call it off, are you?”

“No!” Shiro snapped his head up in alarm. “Never, Lance. I would never hurt your mother like that! I can’t imagine my life without her in it---!“ He trailed off. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is that I never really got to ask _you._ ”

“Me?” Lance’s brow furrowed over his eyes. “Why would you need to ask me?”

“I want to be proper, Lance.” Shiro replied and his dark eyes bore deep into Lance’s blue ones. “I’d like to ask for your blessing.”

“Blessing?” Lance’s eyes widened and he pointed at himself in disbeleif. “Me? Why does it matter what I say?”

“Oh, Lance.” Shiro sighed. He reached towards Lance and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Of course what you say matters because _you_ matter.” He gave Lance’s shoulder a gentle squeeze and the kind smile he wore made emotion bubble in Lance’s chest, making him choke back the tears the he was glad the darkness of the car hid.

“I think you’re a great kid, Lance.” Shiro continued. “You pulled Keith out of trouble and made him a better person. You stood up for him and your friends, you stood up for yourself when you were cornered, and despite the setbacks, you kept moving forward even though it was hard. You should be proud of yourself.”

“I just did what I thought was right.” Lance lowered his eyes but Shiro shook his head.

“I’m pretty damn proud of you, Lance.” Shiro said and with all sincerity he said; “And if it’s okay with you,” he took a deep and shaky breath. “If…If it’s okay with you, I’d like to be your dad.”

Breath rushed out of Lance and he stared in shock and it made Shiro instantly fearful that what he said was too much. “I mean, if it’s too much to ask, I completely understand, Lance! I just...”

But Lance didn’t give him any more time to speak when he let the emotion in him just burst out and he threw his arms around Shiro and hugged him tightly. Shiro sat still for a moment when Lance’s acceptance finally sunk into him, he returned the tight embrace.

“Hey, now,” he cooed gently. “Are you crying?”

Lance shook his head from where he buried it on the crook of Shiro’s shoulder but little breathy sobs escaped from him while his body trembled. He felt Shiro’s hands hold him protectively and it smoothed up and down his back in a comforting rhythm.

“I’m pretty sure you’re crying.” Shiro smiled kindly and Lance lifted his head to finally look at him. His glasses were messed up and his cheeks were flushed but he wore the biggest, brightest, happiest smile Shiro had ever seen.

“No,” Lance shook his head, his voice thick with emotion and tears fell from his eyes. “I just got something in my eye, dad.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _The finale of our tale will be posted on Valentines Day._
> 
> God, I just love weddings. Don't you? :)
> 
> Feel free to talk to me on [tumblr!](http://lightoflunaris.tumblr.com/)


	37. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking chances is an act of bravery; you either fail or succeed. But in the end of the day, you always learn to become stronger and wiser. You become a better person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest readers, 
> 
> There is nothing more to say. 
> 
> *Cries while eating her birthday cake*

**_ Chapter 37: “Finale” _ **

 

**_One and a half years later…_ **

 

The only scents in the hotel room were lavender and clean water.

The only sound that floated in the air was the monotone swinging of the round pendulum on the cottage wall clock by the door.

Allura’s eyes were closed and her breathing was serene. Her nerves tingled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness as the minutes passed by. However, the rhythm of the comb stroking on her hair calmed her haywire nerves.

Lance’s fingers weaved through her thick curls and he fashioned the silvery black locks into a braid which he wrapped around her head to look like a crown. He then carefully held it in place with jeweled pins made out of tiny rhinestone flowers.

“There we go.” Lance’s voice made Allura’s eyelids quiver and she slowly opened her eyes to look at her reflection;

The woman who stared back at her was stunning.

Allura’s gown was made out of white lace and satin. Her skirt wrapped around her waist where it connected to her corset which was studded with blue and violet stones that were sewn in patterns that resembled flowering vines. The simple yet beautiful princess cut gown fitted Allura like a glove and the Shirogane heirloom was a striking contrast against her dark skin from where it hung around her neck.

“You look absolutely beautiful, mom.” Lance smiled gently. “I bet Shiro will faint.”

“Let’s not hope for that.” A soft laugh. Allura reached to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and stared back at the woman who was in the mirror. “Lance…We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”

“Yeah.” Lance replied and habitually poked the bridge of his nose but then he remembered that his glasses were absent today and he wore contacts. “We have.” he went to the couch where a big white garment box laid open and retrieved Allura’s veil.

Those long tanned fingers worked patiently while Lance placed in the pins that would hold the veil on his mother’s head. “Mom, do you remember when you got fired from your waitress job at Ambrosia?” Lance asked while he attached her veil.

“I do.” Allura nodded slightly. “The rude customer said that I got his steak wrong and then he made a scene.”

“And Keith was failing junior year back then.”

A small somber smile lifted on Allura’s painted lips. “I called you on the bus home before I sent the application for the job.”

“Then you met Shiro.” Finally, Lance draped the veil over Allura, covering her upper half with it. “And loo at you now; a beautiful blushing bride.”

Allura stood up to her full height while she watched Lance through the screen of her veil and noticed how Lance’s blue eyes sheened with tears he held back. She reached forward and caught a single tear that slid down from her son’s eye.

“Crap, I told myself I wouldn’t cry ‘til after.”

“Lance,” she said and her eyes softened when those blue lilacs locked with ocean blue ones. “Why are you crying, dear?”

Lance just shook his head. “I…I’m just emotional, mom; you and Shiro are getting married after all.” His arm went up and he pressed the back of his sleeve against his eyes to push back the tears that threatened to fall. “I’m just so happy, you know? You’ve gone through so much hardship on your own. You’ve given me so much, mom, so much that you forgot yourself sometimes.”

When he took his mother’s hand into his and caressed the back with the pad of his thumb, Lance continued with a sincere smile and his tone quivered with thick emotion;

“This day,” he motioned at her mother’s garbs. “All of this… you deserve all of this. You deserve happiness and you finally have it. I’m just so happy that you’re finally getting what’s good in life.”

“Oh, Lance.” Allura breathed, her own voice emotional. She squeezed her son’s hands and their fingers intertwined. “I love you so much and I always will.”

Lance had to be careful not to ruin his mother’s gown when Allura took him into her arms and embraced him tightly. He breathed in her scent and closed his eyes while he saw flashes of their memories together when he was growing up.

_Allura teaching him how to ride a bike at the bicycle rentals in the park._

_Allura waving at him from the audience while he acted in his kindergarten school play._

_Allura handing him his Red Paladin lunch box on the first day of the third grade._

_Allura’s warm body protectively embracing his after a nightmare._

_Allura taking so many risks for him._

_Allura proudly placing a medal around his neck when he graduated from Altea Prep a few months ago._

“I love you too, mom.”

 

When they pulled apart, Allura’s eyes were shining from within. She looked up at Lance and he felt his own heart kick at how happy and radiant his mother was.

“Come on, mom.” Lance reached for the bouquet of white star gazer lilies which he handed to Allura. “It’s time.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The smell of spring flowers and freshly budded leaves wafted in the air. An aisle was set up in the middle of the beautiful blooming garden. Several chairs were lined up on either side of the red carpet lined with white linen arranged like garlands. There were familiar faces in the small crowd that sat on the chairs; good colleagues and friends that had become like family. Conversations lifted like a mixed chorus in the air while they waited for the ceremony to start.

Pidge fidgeted in their pantsuit while they typed in a quick message on their phone. Shay looked gorgeous in her sunny yellow cocktail dress that matched the color of her eyes. She smiled at Hunk who sat beside her and when she did, he blushed like a schoolboy in love. Even after all these years they have been dating, Shay still had that effect on him.

Finally, at the end of the carpeted aisle, stood Shiro in a striking tuxedo that was specially tailored for this occasion. Keith stood beside him as his best man in a more toned down formal fashion; a tailored white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a black felt vest. And to finish the look, his raven hair was pulled back into a pony tail.

“Fifteen.” Keith suddenly said when he saw Shiro fix his bow tie.

“What?” Shiro glanced at him with a look of confusion. “What do you mean fifteen?”

“I’m keeping count.” A sly smile from Keith. “That’s the fifteenth time you’ve fixed your bow tie in a span of ten minutes. Cut the poor thing some slack; it’s doing its job right.”

Shiro heaved a small sigh but he returned the smile that was laced with worry. “I’m sorry, Keith. I’m…I’m just nervous.”

“Why?” Keith asked and his brow arched in inquiry. “You’re getting married to the love of your life; you’re supposed to be brimming with energy ready to punch whoever screams “Stop the wedding!” or some shit like that.”

“I…I don’t think that would happen, Keith.” Shiro chuckled. “But thanks for the heads up.” He paused and his gaze lowered to the ground. “It’s just… I honestly couldn’t believe that Allura will be my wife. After everything that happened to me, she still chose me in the end. I just…wow, Keith.”

Keith fell quiet and watched him with those enigmatic violet eyes. “You know what, Shiro? My life would’ve been really different if it wasn’t for you.” Then a kind smile lifted from his lips, softening his features. “That’s not even the start; you’ve done so many good things. You’ve given yourself to others without asking for anything in return. You gave up a part of you just to protect the people who matter to you… to protect me. So yes, you deserve this. You deserve _all_ of this.”

The heartfelt sincerity of Keith’s voice touched Shiro’s very core as he turned towards Keith and took a long good look at him. This was no longer the boy who he carried out of a basement and through a bloody living room. This was no longer the rebellious hellion that disobeyed him and lost himself in a crowd of misfits. The Keith Shiro faced now is a proper man with honor and an unbreakable fighting spirit that he knew would bring Keith far in life.

“Keith,” Shiro’s tone was hushed and his eyes sheened with the tears that filmed his dark eyes. His heart ached that Sven wasn’t here to see him get married but he knew deep down that his older brother was smiling down at them right now. “You know what?”

“What?”

Shiro pulled Keith into a tight embrace. “I may have lost a brother but I’m glad that I gained another one.”

“Sh-Shiro…” Keith squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face into the warm crook of Shiro’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me but I’ll be fine on my own now.” He lifted his head and his eyes bore into deep black ones.

“Go,” Keith said. “Be happy.”

And in that moment, the two of them froze when the gentle chords of Canon in D danced in the air. The minister stepped up on the pedestal beside them and shook Keith’s and Shiro’s hands before settling in. The crowd fell quiet and all of them turned on their seats expectantly to look at the back.

Keith looked over his shoulder just when he heard the shuffle of the crowd standing up and beside him, Shiro turned to look at his bride coming towards him on the aisle.

“Holy…” Beside him, Keith heard Shiro suck in a sharp breath and his eyes widened when he saw Allura looking all beautiful and radiant in her wedding gown. One hand held a bouquet while the other was wound around Lance’s arm as he walked his mother down the aisle.

Keith thought that Allura was beautiful but his eyes only saw Lance who approached them. Dressed in a dark gray suit paired with a white dress shirt and a stark sapphire tie that matched his eyes, Lance was dressed simply so that he doesn’t outshine Allura who looked like a goddess.

_‘God, he’s so beautiful.’_

His heart skipped a beat when Lance smiled at him and it pounded in his chest. For a moment there… Keith wondered if he would experience something like this with Lance someday too. He was distracted when he saw Shiro run his hand down his face in disbelief. When Keith turned to look at Shiro, he saw him wipe away the tears in his eyes. Lance and Allura halted in front of them, Keith’s heart melted at the sight of Lance stepping into Shiro’s arms after the other opened them and buried himself into his embrace.

“Take care of her, dad.” Keith heard the soft, tearful words from Lance and he stepped back from Shiro. “Promise me.”

“I promise, son.” Shiro nodded with a kind look in his eyes. “Until my final breath.”

Lance nodded and he took Allura’s hand before he led her to Shiro, entrusting her to him. “I love you both.”

“We love you too, Lance.” Allura replied lovingly and she glanced at Shiro who gave a nod of agreement.

When he looked at Allura, Shiro breathed and his voice cracked with emotion; “Finally, I can love you forever.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Allura’s fingers intertwined with Shiro’s and together they turned their back on the crowd to face the minister. The crowd settled back in their seats, Shiro held Allura’s hand into his own and this thumb lovingly caressed the back of it.

When the minister cleared his throat and the music faded away, the whole universe stopped to pay attention to them.

“Dearly beloved,” the minister began. “We are all gathered here today to witness the union of two hearts…”

Lance watched his mother get married to the love her life and he couldn’t help the happiness that burst in his heart when he witnessed the vows Shiro and Allura exchanged.

“I honestly thought that I lost my shot at happiness, but then I met you.” Shiro said while he slid the delicate white gold band around Allura’s finger. “And I swear to you, that you won’t have to walk alone ever again. Allura, I will love and cherish you for the rest of my life and beyond. Not even death will stop me from loving you.”

Allura took the similar looking ring from the pillow. “You know that I’ve always been guarded, but you broke through that ice.” She slid the ring around Shiro’s finger. “You made me realize that it’s okay to give love another chance and now that we’re here together, I promise to always be by your side through all the hardships and all the bliss life throws at us. I will love you, Takashi, even after I return to the stars.”

They faced each other, their hands clasped in each other’s warmth. They looked so in love and so happy that it made Lance’s heart explode with emotion while he witnessed this.

“You may now kiss the bride.”

Allura’s lashes fluttered momentarily as she gazed down when Shiro lifted her veil. Then she trailed her eyes up now that her vision wasn’t obscured by the screen of the veil anymore. Allura smiled when Shiro reached to tilt up her chin gently before he finally leaned in and kissed her deeply with all the love in his heart.

The crowd burst into a thunderous applause and Lance cried in Keith’s embrace out of pure happiness.

~

When Allura and Shiro emerged from the door as Mr. and Mrs. Shirogane, they were showered with rice and rose petals of every color as they greeted the crowd. They received hugs, kisses, and congratulations from everyone who attended which they returned in thanks graciously.

Finally, Allura glanced at Shiro who gave her a nod and a sly smile on his face. “This is what they’ve been waiting for, love.”

“Alright, gather around, everyone!” Allura called cheerfully. “Let’s see whose next!”

She turned around with her back to the crowd before she held her bouquet in front of her, her stance ready to throw. There were squeals of excitement and Shiro laughed at the small but rowdy group that gathered behind Allura who were all so eager to catch the bouquet.

“Pidge, come on!” Shay grabbed Pidge’s arm and attempted to drag them into the excited group. “Come ooooon!”

“No, Shay!” Pidge shook their head. “I’m married to science! You go. I’m sure Hunk would be rooting for you. I’ll bet twenty bucks and my left arm that he’s been wanting to marry you since high school.”

Shay gave a soft ‘oof’ and her face turned red at Pidge’s sly comment. “Fine, then. I’ll get the bouquet!” she swooned when Hunk waved at her from the sidelines.

“Ready?” Allura asked and the responses she got were eager squeals of ‘YES!’. “On three! One… two… three!”

She threw the bouquet.

Lance wasn’t paying any attention because he was typing a text on his phone for a university classmate who was asking about a group project they were doing.

“I hope Flurona got my email last night.” He sighed. “Professor Thace’s deadlines are so unrealistic sometimes.”

“LAAAANCE!” Shay screamed and Lance looked up from his phone.

**_FWAP!_ **

“Ow! Son of a---!” Something hit Lance on the face and he pulled it off before he sneezed twice from the pollen. When he looked around, he saw at least a fifty people staring at him in shock including Shiro and Allura.

“What?” Lance frowned. When he saw Pidge grinning at him while they pointed, Lance followed and his mouth fell open in shock.

He was holding Allura’s bouquet.

It hit him on the goddamn face and he caught it.

When ‘Ooooohs’ and wolf whistles burst from the crowd while Allura started laughing merrily, Lance’s face immediately turned beet red. However, the heat of the fluster only blazed even more when Lance saw Keith smirking at him from where he stood on the side.

~

Lance had to step away from the reception and get some time for himself. He wandered aimlessly around the garden with Allura’s bouquet still in his hand. He meant to discard it earlier and shrugged off the meaning of catching it as some silly superstition, but something nagged at him not to do it.

Maybe he’ll hold on to the flowers a little longer and admire the soft, velvet petals. Lance burned it in his memory how this bouquet looked on his beautiful mother earlier. After he wandered aimlessly, Lance found himself at the parking lot underneath the soft glow of a flickering lamp post.

He sighed. Lance really didn’t feel like going back to the reception. Most of the guests had gone home while Shiro and Allura had retired to their room. Tomorrow, his mom and new step dad would be leaving for their honeymoon and Lance had the whole weekend free until he and Keith drive back to university and settle back in their dorm.

“What do I do now?” Lance asked himself in the silence of the empty parking lot. He didn’t expect to get an answer but he did;

“We can ditch this place for a little bit.” Keith approached him when Lance turned around to the sound of his boyfriend’s voice. He held two helmets, one, which he handed to Lance. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Lance asked with a curious frown.

“I don’t know.” Keith shrugged. “But let’s bust out of here. It’s been a busy day and we barely had time for each other. I missed you.”

Lance smiled and put on his helmet.

The Ducati’s revving cries pierced through the moonlit night as Keith sped down the freeway with Lance’s arms tightly latched around his torso while he held on and he still hand the bouquet in his hand.

It was cold with the wind still laced with the dying winter chill but Keith’s body was warm against his. Lance felt the familiar adrenaline rush through his veins like it always did whenever he would ride with Keith. The freeway was empty that late in the night and Keith took the exit at the next intersection and they climbed up a rising road. The smell of salt and sea wafted in the air and Lance closed his eyes when he lifted his visor to savor one of his favorite scents in the world.

Keith slowed the Ducati and eased it to stop by a lamppost on the side of a cliff that overlooked the ink black ocean underneath the star studded dome of the sky. When he got off, Lance did as well and removed his helmet before he took in a deep breath to inhale the wind that blew from the sea.

“Why did you bring me here?” Lance asked when Keith removed his own helmet and raked his fingers through his thick dark hair that was now free from the ponytail he wore earlier at the wedding. He kicked up the stand of the bike and when he leaned against it, Lance went to join him.

“Nothing. This has always been the place we’ve gone to when we needed to escape.” Keith shrugged as his violet eyes scanned the dark scenery; the moon illuminated the ocean and the waves that lapped against the cliff wall rippled like white marble. “It just brings back memories. Remember when we ditched school?”

Lance smiled and turned to watch the ocean. “Yeah.” He said and he gazed down on bouquet in his hand; the white petals of the stargazer lilies where soft as the moonlight shone down on them. “It’s one of the most memorable days of my life.”

“Me too.”

“What about that time when we almost broke up?” Lance asked this time. “I disappeared when I lost the scholarship and you followed me here.”

“Scared the shit out of me too.” Keith added with a soft snort. “It’s something I don’t want to remember.” He shivered when a cold wind blew and he rubbed his arms.

“Oh, here.” Lance removed his suit jacket and draped it over Keith’s shoulders. “You should know better than not bringing a jacket during a ride.”

“Heh, you’re such a naggy boyfriend.” Keith pulled Lance’s jacket tighter against him and a pregnant but comfortable silence settled between them as they watched the ocean. Out of habit, Lance’s fingers started to caress the velvety petals of one of the lilies.

“Can you believe this silly superstition?” Lance suddenly asked.

“Being the next one to get married?” Keith followed.

“It’s funny. I don’t think it’s true.” Lance lifted the bouquet to smell one of the flowers. “I think Hunk and Shay will get married next. Hunk’s been wanting to marry Shay since the day they met at the Altea School Fair.”

“I’m pretty sure those two will get to it but not this soon.” Keith looked up at the stars that twinkled above them. “Things will happen in their own time.”

Lance turned his head to look at Keith with a look of disbelief on his face. “That has got to be one of the most mature things you’ve said. I should make a list.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Keith threw a glare at Lance and there was slight irritation in his voice. “Hey, I’m not the same asshole from high school, okay?”

“Yeah, but an asshole, nonetheless.” Lance flashed Keith a grin and then he chuckled when Keith rolled his eyes at him. “But I love you anyway.”

Keith scoffed and turned away but Lance noticed that those pale cheeks were tinted with a red blush. He patted himself on the back for making Keith get all flustered because despite the tough guy image he’s always put off, Keith was actually a huge softy and that’s one of the many things Lance loved about him.

Lance looked down on the bouquet again. “What do you think will happen after all of this, Keith?” He asked.

“I don’t know, Lance.” Keith gave a small shrug. “I honestly don’t know. I’m that kind of person who just takes on the future one day at a time, you know?”

“Really?”

“We’ve been dating for what,” Keith paused to count mentally. “Almost two and a half years now? You should know by this time that I’m a simple guy.”

“I know.” Lanced pushed off the Ducati and stepped towards the railing that protected him from the deadly drop into the pitch black water below. He closed his eyes and took a single deep breath before he exhaled slowly and then he did it again as if trying to calm himself.

_Maybe, some superstitions were true…_

Lance heard Keith’s footsteps as he joined him away from the artificial illumination of the street lamp and the two of them basked underneath the benevolent moonlight and the stars that hung on the roof of the sky.

“I’m a simple guy too, Keith.” Lance smiled and when he opened his eyes, he turned to face Keith and he felt himself become absorbed in those enigmatic violet eyes that Lance loved to stare into. “But I have plans for the future.”

He took Allura’s bouquet and he pulled out one of the lilies before he tucked it between Keith’s ear. The white blossom was a stark contrast against his raven locks and those violet eyes were wide as they stared into Lance’s.

“And you,” Lance continued softly, his cheeks blushing with a gentle pink. “Are in each and every one of them.”

“Lance…” Keith breathed but Lance’s name on his lips was barely audible.

“S-So, what do you say, Keith?” Lance smiled tenderly while his hand moved from the flower on Keith’s ear to caress his pale cheeks. “One hundred years sound good or do you want to go for ten thousand?”

Keith was at a loss of words. He gulped, opened his mouth then closed it again. Lance just stared at him expectantly; filled with hope and his eyes were bright sapphires underneath the moonlight.

“That still has a limit.” Keith said and a smile lit up his features. However, it was the way his eyes filled with tender emotion that confirmed his sincerity. “Why go for ten thousand when we can go for a lifetime?”

“Is that a yes?”

“It is.”

Keith didn’t waste any time, he grabbed Lance and pressed the deepest most loving kiss he could muster. Lance responded eagerly with equal if not more emotion and as they sealed their promise of their future together, the next chapter of their lives began.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Art of Lance's Proposal by forsakenangel88!!!](http://forsakenangel88-art.tumblr.com/post/157204419575/in-celebration-of-the-last-chapter-of-taking)
> 
> [MORE KLANCE PROPOSALS WITH sir_schneeflocke!!!](http://sir-schneeflocke.tumblr.com/post/157230459126/why-go-for-ten-thousand-when-we-can-go-for-a)


	38. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Iris. A flower. A shade of purple which is a product of red and blue._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several years later...

**_Epilogue_ **

****

The seasons turned aimlessly year after year after year, but one thing remained the same:

The airport was crowded as fuck.

“Iris Kogane, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful when eating a hotdog bun?” Lance’s tone was soft but the edge of it was stern and he took out a pack of wet wipes from the Space Explorers baby bag he carried. He started to clean the mustard and ketchup from the little girl’s stubby fingers. “You’ll get sauce on your dress.”

“But daddy,” Iris looked up at Lance with her big blue eyes that were framed by straight raven bangs while the rest was pulled back into twin pigtails. “The hotdog was big!”

“That’s why I cut them up for you, sweetheart.” Lance sighed and took out another wipe to clean the condiments that stained his six year old daughter’s mouth. “You wouldn’t want to look messy when you welcome dad home, right?”

Iris shook her head, pigtails swishing. “No. Dad’s clothes should always be clean.” She said as a matter of fact. “Because he’s a pilot!”

“That’s right!” Lance nodded and patted the top of that dark head. “Dad’s passengers wouldn’t want to see mustard on his uniform, now would they?”

“Will it get dad in trouble?”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Honey, trust me, your dad _is_ trouble.” He paused. “I mean, he used to be that is. Did I ever tell you that time when he stole my homework back in high school?”

“You did, daddy.” Iris nodded with a bored pout. “A million times!”

Lance’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “It’s a classic! What about that one time he scared off another student who tried to get smooth with daddy when he was a charming barista?”

“Daaaddyyyyy!” Iris whined and stuck out her tongue at Lance. “That’s soooo laaaame!”

“No it’s not.” Lance laughed and stood up straight; he might as well let Iris get away with this one. There wasn’t a point arguing with a kindergartener after all. Suddenly, he was distracted when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and swiped to unlock the screen.

Lance beamed happily when he saw that it was from his husband.

**‘Just landed. Heading out now. Where are you?’**

“Hey, guess what?” Lance said to Iris who looked up at him with those curious eyes of hers. “Dad’s home!”

A laugh escaped from Lance while he typed in a quick reply and a kiss emoji to Keith because their daughter started jumping with glee and excitement while she squealed ‘Yay! Yaaaay!!’

“Daddy, gimme my poster, please!” Iris held out her tiny hands and went all grabby fingers at Lance who pulled out a rolled up paper that stuck out from the bag’s bottle pocket.

“Alright, cool your jets, sweetheart.” Lance gave the poster to Iris who unrolled it to show him her drawing. On top were the words: ‘WELcOm hOME DAD’ and at the bottom part were squiggly drawings of their family. “Oh, wow, did you make this all on your own?”

Iris shook her head. “Nope! Grandma helped me write the words and then Sven drew dad’s plane.” She pointed eagerly at a neatly drawn plane on the top right corner of the page. “See? Sven is really good at drawing!”

After Lance’s little brother was born, Shiro and Allura had no idea that their son would be so talented in art. They even enrolled him in summer classes in between school terms to further develop his passion. Lance felt a sense of pride for his eleven year old brother; not only was Sven a talented artist with so much potential, he also inherited Shiro’s gentleness and Allura’s feisty determination.

When Lance and Keith told them about their decision to adopt a baby back then, Sven was so happy that he spent two weeks working on a handmade picture book for the new baby to use.

“Here, I drew Sven too and grandma and grandpa!” Iris’s finger poked three figures at the bottom left part that resembled a little girl’s interpretation of Shiro, Allura, and Sven. “We’re over here!” she then pointed to the second trio in the picture; Lance with his squiggly brown mop of a hair and glasses and Keith with his dark hair that was cut short and his airline pilot uniform. In the middle of them, Iris held both of her fathers’ hands.

“It’s beautiful.” Lance smiled. “Great job, I bet dad will love it!”

Then at the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar figure descending from the escalator. Lance looked up and his eyes locked with familiar violet ones. “Iris, look.” He said without breaking eye contact with Keith.

Iris turned to where Lance pointed and she let out a loud, happy gasp. “Daaaaaaaad!!!~” and before Lance knew it, the little girl ran off at a speed of light like a bullet towards her other father.

Keith stepped off from the escalator and let go of the handle of his trolley bag before he knelt on one knee and opened his arms just to receive Iris. When she rammed into him, Keith picked her up and spun her around which earned giggles from their daughter.

“Hi, baby!” Keith buried his face against the top of Iris’s head and he nuzzled her soft tanned cheek. “I missed you. Were you good while I was gone?”

“Yes!” Iris nodded cheerfully. “I helped daddy do the dishes and I was quiet while he worked on his…” Iris paused while she struggled with the big words. “Pre…Preli…Pearlymary…

“’Preliminary.” Keith corrected. “Preliminary grade sheets.”

“Yeah, that! Grade sheets!” Then Iris pulled up her poster and gave it to Keith. “I made this for you as a welcome home gift, dad! Do you like it?”

Keith took the picture and a happy grin cracked on his face that had matured quite nicely over the years. “I love it, Iris. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!”

“So where’s our favorite teacher?” Keith poked the tip of his daughter’s nose which earned him a happy giggle.

“You and I both know that Altean midterms exams are no joke. It was not a kind week for my students.” Lance greeted when he approached them. “But I have faith in my juniors, they’re going to nail finals if they work hard enough. They’re going to be primed to reach Altea’s standards just like us.” Lance’s smile softened and it made his eyes shine with love. “Hey, Keith, how was Australia?”

“Hot this time of the year.” Keith leaned in and kissed Lance.

“Eeeewwww!” Iris giggled and covered her eyes with her small hands. “Dad and Daddy are gross!” But she only burst out into louder giggles when Keith smirked and kissed Lance again, teasing.

“Come on,” Lance said when they broke off from their reunion. “Mom and dad asked us to come over for dinner. Sven won an art competition in school and they want to celebrate.”

“I hope Shiro doesn’t forget to buy a damn cake.” Keith handed Iris over to Lance while he took his bag’s handle again.

“Seriously?” Lance let out a soft ‘pft’. “Even if he did, I can always make one for my little brother. “Knowing Sven, he’d even help out.”

“Well, you do make the best red velvet in town.” Keith laughed. “And the best hot chocolate.”

Lance fell into a quiet, absorbed by how happy Keith sounded. He stared at Keith with emotion in his eyes and love in his heart. He lowered Iris to the floor so she could walk with them. “Uhm, hey?”

“Yeah?” Keith paused to look at his husband curiously. “What is it, baby?”

_Perfect. Everything was perfect in and Lance wouldn’t want it any other way._

“Welcome home, Keith.”

“Yeah!” Iris skipped happily between her parents while she held each of their hands, her own small ones pressed against the matching wedding rings that Lance and Keith wore. “Welcome home, dad!”

 

**_The End._ **

_Taking Chances, a Voltron: Legendary Defender Modern AU by plumeriafairy14_

_July 27, 2016 – February 14, 2017_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end of our journey, there is nothing else to tell. I may not be one of the best writers in the fandom, but I hope that this story has touched your heart and that you learned a thing or two one way or another. If you are reading this, my dear reader, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this story. A lot of the elements here are based from events in my life and the whole story is a piece of my soul I humbly offered to you.
> 
> This won't be the last of my stories though. I hope to write more content for the VLD fandom until the end of the series. (FITE ME) :) Let's make the Voltron fandom better. Oh, and come say hi on tumblr! I'd love to talk to you guys! 
> 
> Xoxo,  
> [Fairy](http://lightoflunaris.tumblr.com/)
> 
> PS: Check out this side story of Taking Chances written by sasuhinasno1fan! It's [a Klance one shot](http://sasuhinasno1fan.tumblr.com/post/157254790398/a-lifetime-with-you) from their university days and how they made their engagement official! I'm tagging it as canon! It made me very happy, thank you! :D


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